"I stayed strong mentally and patiently waited for my chance while training hard" - Sharmila Devi on long-awaited comeback

Sharmila Devi, Indian Women's Hockey Team forward, made her comeback after close to nine months. After last playing for the country during a test series against Australia in May 2023, she returned to action during the FIH Hockey Pro League 2023-2024 game against China in February 2024.

While making a comeback isn't the easiest thing to do, Sharmila Devi showed immense character to make her way back into the side. Hailing from Haryana, the young forward expressed her thoughts on her time away from the national team.

“It wasn’t easy. I didn’t get to play for the national side for close to nine months. After the test series against Australia, I got to play for the team in the FIH Hockey Pro League in February 2024, missing out on the Asian Games and Olympic Qualifiers. Those were trying times but I stayed strong mentally and patiently waited for my chance while training hard," she said in a Hockey India release.

The 22-year-old was determined to stage a comeback into the national side. While she was away from the side, Sharmila Devi worked hard to improve her game and skillset.

“I worked on my game day in and day out. I wanted to become the best player I could be. I was very clear that that was the only way back and that I had to give it my all. So that’s exactly what I did. While working on my skills as a forward, I also worked on the defensive aspects of the game," she added.

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Excited to wear the Indian jersey once again - Sharmila Devi

After a long wait of nearly nine months, Sharmila Devi finally got her opportunity when the Indian Women's Hockey Team played China in their opening FIH Hockey Pro League 2023-2024 fixture.

She was joyous on finally being able to take the field and represent the country once again.

“I was more than excited to be wearing the Indian jersey once again. It felt very rewarding for all the work that was put in. I would have been happier if we had won that game but it was unfortunately not meant to be," she stated.

The Indian Women's Hockey Team played numerous exciting games during their FIH Hockey Pro League 2023-2024 campaign. One among these was the clash against Great Britain.

Despite putting up a great fight, India unfortunately went down 2-3. However, it was Sharmila who scored India's second goal in the game.

“They took a two-goal lead early in the game and had us on the back foot straight away. When we scored our first goal in the third quarter, we were pumped. We put a lot of pressure on them in the final quarter and we got them to break, setting up the perfect opportunity for us to equalize and I used that chance. They managed to take the lead soon after and we couldn’t score another one but it was a thrilling game. I only wish we could’ve won that match,” the 22-year-old said remembering the thrilling contest.

Going forward, Sharmila Devi is only determined to improve her game, put in her best efforts, and help the Indian Women's Hockey Team gain further success. She aims to win more and more games for the nation in the time to come.

“Every time we step onto the field, we give our hundred percent. This is something I have always done and will continue to do so. I will work hard to consistently do well for the national team and help us win more and more games as time goes by,” she concluded.