LALREMSIAMI

Lalremsiami (born 30 March 2000) is a Mizo Indian professional field hockey player who plays as a forward for the Indian national team. At the club level, she plays for Sports Authority of India. Lalremsiami was a part of the 18-member squad that represented India at the 2018 World Cup. At the Asian Games that followed, she became the first sportsperson from Mizoram to win an Asiad medal after she won silver.

Early life

Lalremsiami was born into a family of agriculturists in Kolasib, a town approximately 80 kilometres (50 mi) from Aizawl, Mizoram. Her father, Lalthansanga Zote, is a farmer and mother, Lazarmawii, a homemaker. Lalremsiami was selected to join a hockey academy run by the government of Mizoram in Thenzawl, Serchhip when she was 11.  In 2016, she joined the National Hockey Academy in New Delhi.  Struggling with Hindi during this time, she picked up the language with the help of teammates who call her 'Siami', a shortened nickname of her full name.

Career

Lalremsiami was included in the Under-18 Indian side that played at the Asia Cup in 2016, before being drafted to the senior camp the following year by Baljit Singh Saini, then the coach of the junior team. She represented the U-18 side at Asian Youth Olympic Games qualifier, that her side finished second in. Lalremsiami finished the tournament scoring seven goals in five games.  She was included in the senior team that went on to win gold at the 2017 Asia Cup.  She was included in the side that competed in the 2018 Asian Champions Trophy, winning the second place. She played in a total of 31 minutes on the field across five matches scoring two goals, including an equalizer in a crucial final round-robin match. Consequently, she was named the tournament's 'U-21 rising star award'.

Lalremsiami was included in the 18-member squad for the 2018 World Cup as India's youngest player at 18.  After strong performances in the league games, Lalremsiami scored her first and only goal of the tournament in the crossover match against Italy. Receiving an assist at the far post sent in off a long corner by Reena Khokhar, Lalremsiami scored off the reverse stick on seeing goalkeeper Martina Chirico advance, giving her side an early 1–0 lead.  India advanced to the quarter-final after a 3–0 win.  Facing Ireland in the quarter-final, her side lost in the penalty shoot-out and finished in the eighth place.

Lalremsiami scored four goals at the Jakarta Asian Games that followed the World Cup. The first goal came in the 24th minute of the group stage game against Indonesia that her team went on to win 8–0.  She scored a hat-trick in a 21–0 victory over Kazakhstan in the next game; the win margin was India's second best at the Games.  Following good performances, her team lost to Japan by an 1–2 margin in the final, settling for the silver medal.  In the process, Lalremsiami became the first sportsperson from Mizoram to win an Asian Games medal.