1 year ago
Gujarat's Bansari Solanki to Represent India in Asia Cup
Bansari Solanki, a hockey player from Gujarat, is making history!
She's going to play for India in a big tournament called the Asia Cup.
She started playing for fun, then got help from famous hockey players like Dhanraj Pillay and Romeo James.
They taught her to be a great goalkeeper.
She's the first woman from her state to play for India and the first from Gujarat in a long time.
It wasn't easy; she missed home when she trained far away.
But she kept working hard and now she's part of the national team, ready to make her country proud.
Bansari Solanki, a hockey goalkeeper from Gujarat, is set to represent India in the Asia Cup.
Solanki was mentored by Dhanraj Pillay and later coached by Romeo James.
She is the first woman from Gujarat to play for India, and the first from the state since 1960.
Solanki's journey began playing hockey for fun at school, later moving to Vadodara for training.
An injury to Savita Punia opened the door for Solanki to join the Asia Cup-bound team.
- Who
- Bansari Solanki, a hockey player from Gujarat.
- What
- Bansari Solanki is representing India in the Asia Cup as a hockey goalkeeper.
- Where
- Hangzhou, China.
- When
- Next month, in Hangzhou, China.
- Why
- Solanki's hard work and an opportunity due to another player's injury led to her selection.
Key facts
- Sport
- Hockey
- Position
- Goalkeeper
- Origin
- Gujarat, India
- Mentor
- Dhanraj Pillay
- Coach
- Romeo James
- Tournament
- Asia Cup
Quotes
Bansari Solanki
Hockey player
“He was my biggest inspiration, having come from a humble background to reach great heights. With him around, I had a lot of hope that if such a legend is my coach, maybe I can achieve something too”
indianexpress.com
“I constantly thought about whether I’ll ever be able to make it to the senior team because the usual progression is that you first play for the junior team and then progress to the senior level”
indianexpress.com
Dhanraj Pillay
Former India hockey captain
“Her parents fully supported her, which was essential because Gujarat had no hockey history. She was hardworking, which is always a coach’s delight. And she was curious, always asking the right questions. We had 35 girls and 35 boys, and Bansari emerged as one of the finest players in that group”
indianexpress.com
“the hard-working girl who asked the most number of questions”
indianexpress.com
Romeo James
Olympian and coach
“Boys are hard-hitters, sharp-hitters… that’s how she became very strong. We used to have six-a-side games, mixed teams with three boys and three girls on each side. Those games used to be hard and we followed it up with a penalty shootout with boys”
indianexpress.com
