Hailing from a dalit landless labourer’s family, Sumit’s journey from working as a cleaner in a Dhaba in Murthal to Tokyo Olympics

Saurabh Duggal

Hailing from a dalit landless labourer’s family, Sumit’s hockey journey started with working as a cleaner in a roadside Dhaba in Murthal to at times sleeping empty stomach or just had plain bread before going to bed — affording milk doesn't figure anywhere —, to traveling in train without ticket to save money for fruits or a meal during inter-district hockey competitions to eventually making it to the 16-member Indian men’s hockey team for the world’s biggest sporting arena — Tokyo Olympics.

Hockey India announced the men’s Olympic squad last week.

“We both had worked as a cleaner in Ratan dhaba and Madan dhaba – near the famous Sukhdev dhaba in Murthal. After work we used to go for morning training. But because of the financial condition of the family, I had to quit the sport mid-way. Thankfully, Sumit continued with his passion and today he made all of us proud,” said Sumit’s elder brother Amit, 30. “Sumt had worked in dhabas for around four-five years and later he got selected in the sports hostel in Gurgaon. It was a residential centre and his diet was taken care of in the hostel, his selection in the sports hostel changed everything,” added Amit, who is preparing for the UGC Net exams and wants to do research in history.

Sumit lost his mother last year in November. “Had she been around, she would be the happiest person on the earth. Unfortunately she passed away because of the infection in her lungs. My mother had never sat in the airplane, so I told her that if I would be selected in the Indian team for the Olympics, I would take her along with me to Tokyo. Though she is not alive, she is always with me in my memories and her blessings are always with me,” said 25-year-old Sumit, who is currently training in Bangalore.      

Sumit is now a hero of a Jat dominated Kurad village in Sonipat district (Haryana). “The entire village takes pride in me,” said Sumit