CHENNAI: ONGC captain Sumit’s performance in the 92nd All India MCCMurugappa Gold Cup was lauded by all. Among those praising was former India captain V Baskaran. The midfielder managed just one goal in four matches and his team failed to make it to the semifinals. Still, his inspirational display and willingness to shoulder responsibility stood out. Although his team failed to impress, Sumit’s display in the recent past was rewarded by a place among the 25 India probables for the World Cup coming up in Bhubaneswar in November.
The 22-year-old is no newcomer to this, having been part of India camps in the past. He was in the pool for the Asian Games as well, before being kept as one of the three standbys. It was his longing for hockey shoes and jerseys that attracted a young Sumit to the game. Back in 2005, Naresh Antil, a coach in Sonepat, used to give away those and hockey sticks to create interest among kids. That’s how he started. Following encouragement from the coach, he made his mark. His international debut came at the 2017 Sultan Azlan Shah tournament.
Like many hockey players in India, Sumit is not from a rich family. His father is a farmer and the family of five (two elder brothers) struggled to afford two square meals a day. But despite hardships, he used to devote more than four hours to hockey everyday. It bore fruit at the 2016 Junior World Cup, where he scored 11 goals to become the highest scorer and player of the tournament. Next year, he was adjudged best player in the Hockey India League, playing for Ranchi Rays. At the ongoing event, he captained ONGC for the first time and his performance drew high praise from Baskaran. “He is a tremendous player inside the ‘D’ like Sardar (Singh). His speed is impressive.” Sumit is inspired by the former India captain, who retired on Wednesday.
“I used to see him on TV when I started playing. After joining the national camp, I learnt a lot from him. Now he won’t be around. But I will try my best to execute whatever he taught me.” Sumit is preparing himself mentally for the World Cup. “If I make it to the squad, I would not let the chance go in vain. I will prove myself. I want to win gold in my first senior World Cup,” said Sumit. Results: PSB 2-2 IOC; Indian Railways 3-1 CSE. nithin.k@newindianexpress.com