New Delhi, March 13 : At 20, Jyoti Singh was handed her senior India debut at the FIH Hockey Pro League 2024/25 (Women) as she featured in four of India's matches, including their remarkable win against World No. 1, the Netherlands.

'Listening to the national anthem echo in the stadium when I made my debut was truly a special feeling that I will never forget," she said in a Hockey India release.

Jyoti couldn't have summed up her debut tournament experience in a better way. 'My overall experience was very good, especially our win over the Netherlands on the last day. It felt good to help the team achieve something big surrounded by all the senior players,' she added.

Talking about the events leading up to her first game, Jyoti said, 'I got to know that I was debuting against Spain the night before the match. I had butterflies in my stomach and couldn't sleep. The senior players helped me calm down the next morning at breakfast.'

'Sushila Chanu (di) told me to play freely and that there was no pressure on me and that the senior players would support me. Savita di told me to not take any risks and just listen to her throughout the match. This really stuck with me and helped me in the tournament.'

Jyoti had just returned after the Hero Hockey India League season with Delhi SG Pipers when she got to know she had made it into the senior squad. 'I didn't expect to be selected so soon. We had started preparing for senior nationals when I got to know. I called my parents to inform them and they were very happy.'

Jyoti's sporting roots are engraved in her family. Her father, Dheeraj Singh, is a former athlete and has represented India internationally. He introduced her to sports when she used to go running with him in her early years. Jyoti's connection with Hockey, however, began through her cousin, Anuja Singh, who currently plays for Central Railways. 'My cousin used to play hockey. When she used to come home during summer vacation, I used to feel like playing hockey after hearing about it from her. So in 2015, I held the stick for the first time when I went to the same academy (MP Women Hockey Academy, Gwalior) as her.'

Talking about her game, Jyoti said, 'I need to be quicker. Playing the Hero HIL and the Pro League has made me realise that I need to be faster to keep up with the international attackers. I also need to feed the ball better, something that Sushila di does very well. I look up to her since she is a very experienced defender. The way she works and guides other players from the back is really inspiring.'

Before this, Jyoti first became the captain of the junior squad and led her side to a gold medal at the Junior Women's Asia Cup in December, last year. Now, Jyoti has returned to junior camp and is dead set to win another medal for her country.

/IANS