From drought-prone village to WHIL: Rutuja Pisal story

Women's Hockey India League is full of stories like Satara's star where talent is getting the opportunity. Long may it continue
Rutuja Pisal in action for Odisha Warriors in Women's Hockey India League
Rutuja Pisal in action for Odisha Warriors in Women's Hockey India LeagueHIL
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3 min read

If you wish to visit Rutuja Pisal's village from Pune and wish to use the public vehicle, you have to get to Phaltan first. A town in the northeast part of Satara district. Then you have to take another vehicle and travel for some 15 minutes to reach Kolki. A quaint village in the draught-prone area of the district. The village is so unassuming that you wouldn't know this is the place that has produced a world-class hockey player.

Pisal is not the only one to come from this region. Akshata Dhekale, Kajal Atpadkar, Pooja Shendge, Swati Jadhav, Bhagyashree Shinde, and the biggest name of them all - Vaishnavi Phalke - all come from this area with a similar story — spotted by Vikas Bhujbal, a former volleyball player and a sports teacher, and then finding their space in hockey. "I used to run in my village since my childhood. In those days, Bhujbal sir saw me and asked me to join the camp he was conducting for players from the Satara district," Pisal told this daily.

"Athletes from all over the district came together for the camp that lasted for close to 20 days. The best players were selected for Krida Praboshini in Pune and from there hockey started for me. Credit to Bhujbal sir that he supported us from childhood and giving us a direction to do better. We come from such an area where we don't know much about how to get started in any sport, but he spoke with our parents and helped them understand what we can do with sports. Otherwise, I don't think our parents would have let us do any of this. I am thankful to him," she added.

Coming from a humble family where her father is an employee at the TVS company in Phaltan and a homemaker mother, Pisal represented India in the Women’s Junior Asia Cup 2023 where they won the title for the very first time. Playing alongside Phalke, and superstars like Deepika and Sunelita Toppo, Pisal was instrumental in India's win. She was also part of India's squad for the 2024 Women's FIH Hockey5s World Cup in Oman where India came close to winning the championship, before faltering against the Netherlands in the final. In that tournament, Pisal was India's second-highest goal scorer behind Deepika Soreng.

With every new opportunity the 22-year-old has gained the confidence to help her make the most of her chances. "When you reach the next level, with the way you play, confidence increases. And I pushed myself every time I did not get selected for a series or other event. My friends have also helped me grow. I keep chatting with them trying to know what I can do better and then work on it. That helps build confidence," she mentioned.

With the women's Hockey India League's inaugural season, Pisal was slightly worried about her chances of getting picked in the league, but it went away the moment Odisha Warriors picked her. "When my name came up in the auction, I was slightly worried if anyone would pick me in the women's HIL or not. I have mostly played for the junior teams till now. Unlike the senior team where one can watch them play on TV or mobile, it is hard to watch the junior team in action," but it was all worth it in the end.

So far alongside her more established teammates like Neha Goyal and Yibbi Jansen, Pisal has been able to make an impact for the Warriors. She believes this is the opportunity for the players like her to showcase what they can do. "I think this is the new platform we were waiting for. This is a chance for us to prove ourselves as players and I am excited to be part of the tournament for that reason. This is our chance to showcase that disciplined brand of hockey that motivates the next generation to pick up the stick."

Women's Hockey India League is full of stories like these where talent is getting the opportunity. Long may it continue.

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