Hockey bronze: Haryana’s Sumit even worked as dhaba cleaner

Son of landless labourer, Team India midfielder started playing hockey for a pair of shoes being provided free by the coach at Sonepat village

As news of the Indian hockey team winning the bronze medal match by defeating Germany 5-4 at the Tokyo Olympics reached the native village of player Sumit Kumar, 25, celebrations broke out at Kurad in Sonepat district of Haryana.

Friends and neighbours gather outside hockey player Sumit Kumar’s house at Kurad village in Sonepat district of Haryana after the Team India victory at the Tokyo Olympics on Thursday. (HT Photo)

Residents of the Jat-dominated village came out on the streets to congratulate the Sumit’s family. But behind Thursday’s glory is a story of focus and struggle.

Travelled ticketless to save for fruits

Midfielder Sumit Kumar, who belongs to a landless labourer’s family, did odd jobs, including working as a dhaba cleaner, to make ends meet. His elder brother, Amit Kumar, quit playing hockey so that Sumit could get the facilities needed to make it to Team India.

“Before selecting the sports hostel in Gurugram, Sumit worked at dhabas in Murthal for five years so that he could arrange for the diet and other expenses. Milk was a luxury. During his early days, he used to travel in trains without ticket to save for meals and fruits,” Amit said.

Amit recalled that Sumit had started playing hockey simply to get a pair of shoes and a hockey stick being provided free by the academy coach at their village. “Slowly, he started spending the entire day on the hockey ground. At one time, we thought that he might quit the game due to the family’s poor financial condition, but he continued. After three years at the sports hostel, Sumit was selected in the Sports Authority of India’s (SAI) north zone Bahalgarh centre. He didn’t visit home even on weekends to save on the bus fare,” Amit said.

Skipped brother’s wedding for hockey

Sumit’s village coach Naresh Kumar said that he was so passionate about hockey that he did not attend the wedding of his elder brother, Jai Singh, who worked as a labourer.

Sumit has dedicated the bronze medal to his mother Darshna Devi, who passed away last year. “My mother worked as a domestic help to bring us up. Had she been alive, she would have been the happiest person today. It was her dream that India win a medal in hockey at the Olympics. Though she is not alive, her blessings are always with us,” Sumit said over phone from Tokyo.