Abhishek Nain's Journey From Sonepat to Paris 2024 Glory: How A Hindi Teacher Shaped Career of Olympic Bronze Medallist

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Way back in the early 2000's an enthusiastic school Hindi language teacher religiously jotted notes to learn the fundamentals of hockey!

A compulsive learner -- Shamsher Singh Dahiya -- later shaped the destiny of several budding players including Abhishek Nain who was part of the forward line for the National hockey team that won bronze at the Paris Olympic Games the other night.

The 26-year-old International from Sonepat, Haryana took hockey lessons from his Hindi teacher during his formative years in school. He wasn't part of any talent scouting grassroots programme but had the passion to play.

"Hockey coaches of the state government and Sports Authority of India (SAI) posted at CRZ School Senior Secondary School, Sonepat were shifted to different places in early 2000. There was no one to oversee hockey practice in school," the Hindi teacher recalled. "Since I was overseeing maintenance of playgrounds in school, it was suggested that I take over hockey practice too."

The teacher recalled it was a challenging task at hand but I agreed. Dahiya was also the hostel superintendent and he could comfortably manage a group of passionate youngsters. And transformed them into excellent hockey players.

Speaking about Abhishek Nain, Dahiya who is retired now said he (Abhishek) was disciplined and a fast learner. "He was dedicated but sometimes naughty," the Hindi school teacher fondly remembers Abishek and how hardworking he was in school.

As Abhishek was growing into a formidable player in the group, an unforeseen incident in 2009 nearly nipped his playing career. A group of youngsters along with Abhishek went to pluck 'jamun' from a compound that had barbed wires on the walls.

He apparently jumped from the tree when someone jokingly shouted in the group that Master Ji (Hindi teacher) has come. Abhishek promptly jumped from the tree and got badly injured. "He was hospitalised for two days and his parents were reluctant to send him to play hockey again," the school teacher added.

However, on the intervention of the Hindi teacher, Abhishek's parents agreed to send him again to play hockey. Then its history!

"I had to give an assurance that he was a good player and I will take care of him in future," the school teacher said.

The teacher had good bonding off and on the field. According to Dahiya it was fun as well as a learning lesson for me when the boys competed in local hockey tournaments.

"Some players had money to travel and some didn't. We often had to travel for tournaments in a one auto," the teacher said.

Hard work paid off and gradually the group of youngsters started making an impact at the state as well as the national level. "Our boys from the school did quite well at the junior nationals when they represented the Haryana team," asserted the Hindi school teacher.

Abhishek hailed from a middle-class family in Sonepat. None of his family members were associated with sport, Abhishek's elder brother Ashish said: "Abhishek went to CRZ school in Sonepat that was popular for sports in the region.

Abhishek started playing hockey when he was in class 5, Ashish added. "He used to watch senior students play and got passionately involved in sport," the elder brother said.

Abhishek made his way to the national team in 2017 and competed in two editions of the Sultan of Johar Cup (2017 and 2018). But took time to cement his place in the senior national team.

He also joined Punjab National Bank in 2018-2019 under the sports quota scheme. He got a call for the national camp in 2021 and made his senior debut at the 2021-22 FIH Pro League.

Since then he has been a key player of the forward line. He was also a member of India's silver medal-winning team at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games and the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games held in China in 2023.

"It is good to see Abhishek playing in the Paris Olympic Games," the elder brother added.

Abhishek Nain's journey from a young, passionate player in Sonepat, mentored by an unlikely coach, to an Olympic bronze medalist is nothing short of inspirational. It's a testament to the power of dedication, guidance, and the profound impact a mentor can have on a young athlete's life.

As he continues to rise in the world of hockey, Abhishek's story will undoubtedly inspire future generations, showing that with hard work and the right support, even the most unexpected paths can lead to greatness.