“It has been a challenging journey. I didn’t have enough financial support initially as my father was the sole bread earner. He works as a home guard, and I have an elder brother as well, so all the earnings were spent on our studies. In fact, during my school summer breaks, I used to work at a departmental store, where I used to earn around 700 rupees. So, it was tough, I couldn’t even afford to buy hockey sticks. But, ever since I picked up hockey, my life has changed. It is everything for me, it has helped me and my family overcome various challenges, and I believe it will certainly help me bring financial stability for my family,” he added.In his debut tournament with the junior national side, Shardanand returned home with a silver from the 2019 Sultan of Johar Cup.”It was my debut tournament with the national team, and the moment I got to know that I’ve made the cut, I called my dad. I told him that I will be playing for India, he got very emotional, and, that moment I realised, my dad is the reason behind it. I see him as my biggest inspiration. He used to stay awake in the night and also used to work in the day only because I and my brother could pursue our dreams.”
Source link
