Lalremsiami

Lalremsiami

Hmar Zote at the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics
Personal information
Born	Lalremsiami Hmarzote (2000-03-30) 30 March 2000 (age 24) Kolasib, Mizoram, India
Height	1.57 m (5 ft 2 in)
Weight	52 kg (115 lb)
Playing position	Forward Halfback
Club information
Current club	Railways
Senior career
Years	Team
	Sports Authority of India
	Railways
National team
Years	Team	Caps	Goals
–2022	India U21
2017–	India	156	(41)
Medal record Women's field hockey Representing  India Nations Cup 2022 Spain Asian Games 2018 Jakarta Team 2022 Hangzhou Team Commonwealth Games 2022 Birmingham Team Asia Cup 2017 Gifu 2022 Muscat Asian Champions Trophy 2023 Ranchi 2024 Rajgir 2018 Donghae Youth Olympic Games 2018 Buenos Aires Team

Lalremsiami Hmarzote (born 30 March 2000), known mononymously as Lalremsiami, is an Indian field hockey player who plays as a forward and occasionally as a halfback for the Indian national team.^[1][2] At the club level, she plays for Sports Authority of India.^[3] Hmarzote 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 Asian medal after she won silver.

Early life

Hmarzote was born into a family of agriculturists in Kolasib, a town approximately 80 kilometres (50 mi) from Aizawl, Mizoram.^[4] Her father, Lalthansanga Zote (d. 2019),^[5] served in the Indian army and later worked as a farmer and her mother, Lalzarmawii, a homemaker. Lalremsiami was selected to a hockey academy run by the government of Mizoram in Thenzawl, Serchhip when she was 11.^[6] In 2016, she joined the National Hockey Academy in New Delhi.^[7][8] 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.^[9]

Career

2016–2020: Youth level and early international career

Hmarzote was included in the under-18 India side that played at the Asia Cup in 2016, before being drafted to the senior camp the following year by Baljit Singh Saini, then coach of the junior team.^[10] She represented the U-18 side at Asian Youth Olympic Games qualifier, that her side finished second in. Hmarzote finished the tournament scoring seven goals in five games.^[11] Hmarzote was first included in the senior team for its tour of Europe in September 2017.^[12] She was again included in the squad for India's victorious Asia Cup campaign that year,^[13] the win coming after 13 years.^[14] Her first goal came against Singapore in a 10–0 win in a group-stage fixture.^[15] In the 2018 Asian Champions Trophy, Hmarzote played for a total of 31 minutes on the field across five matches scoring two goals, including an equalizer in a crucial final round-robin match, and was named the tournament's 'U-21 rising star award'. India won silver in the campaign.^[11]

Hmarzote was included in the squad for the 2018 World Cup as India's youngest player at 18.^[4] After strong performances in the league games, Hmarzote 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, Hmarzote scored off the reverse stick on seeing goalkeeper Martina Chirico advance, giving her side an early 1–0 lead.^[16] India advanced to the quarter-final after a 3–0 win.^[17] Facing Ireland in the quarter-final, her side lost in the penalty shoot-out^[18] and finished in the eighth place.^[19]

Hmarzote 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.^[20] 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.^[21] Following good performances, her team lost to Japan by a 1–2 margin in the final, settling for the silver medal.^[22] In the process, Hmarzote became the first sportsperson from Mizoram to win an Asian Games medal.^[23] In the five-a-side event at the Buenos Aires Youth Olympics that year, she helped India secure a silver medal, their first in the history of the Games.^[24] Hmarzote scored nine goals in the competition, that included braces against Austria,^[25] Uruguay^[26] and Vanuatu.^[27]

Hmarzote scored a brace against Spain in her team's 5–2 win against them on their tour of the country in January 2019.^[28] A win against Chile in the semi-final of the 2018–19 FIH Series Finals meant India secured advanced to the final of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.^[29] Her performances in 2019 fetched her the FIH Rising Star of the Year award.^[30]

2021–present: Tokyo Olympics

Hmarzote toured Argentina and Germany with the Indian squad in preparation for the Olympic Games in early 2021.^[5] In June that year, she was named in the Olympics squad, becoming the first female sportsperson from Mizoram to represent India at the Games.^[31] Her team was placed fourth, their best ever finish at the Games, and was ranked eighth in the FIH World Rankings, their highest ever.^[32] She was subsequently appointed the chief coach, a group A post, under the Mizoram sports and youth services department. A cash reward of ₹25 lakh and a housing plot were allotted to her by the government.^[33]

In November 2021, Hmarzote was named captain of the India national under-21 team for the 2022 Junior World Cup.^[34] A few months later, ahead of the tournament, Salima Tete was named captain.^[35] India finished fourth.^[36] In the Asia Cup that year, India won bronze; Hmarzote scored twice: in a 9–0 win over Malaysia^[37] and a 2–3 loss to South Korea in the semi-final.^[38] Hmarzote played in the midfield in the tournament as opposed to her traditional position of forward.^[2]

References

1. "Tokyo Olympics 2020: How Mizoram's Lalremsiami Hmarzote Made it to Indian Hockey Team". News18. 3 August 2021. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
2. Sikdar, Sandip (7 April 2022). "Against South Korea, India banking on Olympics trio". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
3. "Hockey India names 33 players for junior women's national camp". The Hans India. Archived from the original on 16 July 2018. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
4. "Mizo girl Siami lets her hockey stick do all the talking". The Times of India. Retrieved 28 July 2018.
5. Seal, Arnab Lall (18 July 2021). "Olympic hockey debutants Lalremsiami and Salima trained through pandemic and personal setbacks". The Times of India. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
6. Zothansanga, John (19 August 2018). "Asian Games 2018: The making of Lalremsiami, Indian hockey's brightest prospect". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 3 September 2018. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
7. "India hockey team-ah Mizo nula Lalremsiami". Inkhel.com. Archived from the original on 28 July 2018. Retrieved 28 July 2018.
8. "'As long as they're talking about hockey I can catch up'". ESPN. Retrieved 28 July 2018.
9. "CWG 2018: Hockey helps Mizo girl Lalremsiami learn hindi". mykhel.com. 22 March 2018. Retrieved 28 July 2018.
10. Veerappa, Manuja (25 March 2018). "Mizo girl Siami lets her hockey stick do all the talking". The Times of India. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
11. Ninan, Susan (22 May 2018). "'As long as they're talking about hockey I can catch up'". ESPN. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
12. "Europe tour: Rani to lead Indian women's hockey team". The Times of India. PTI. 23 August 2017. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
13. "Hockey India names 18-member Indian Women's Hockey Team for the 18th Asian Games". The Statesman. 7 July 2018. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
14. "India women beat China to win Asia Cup 2017". ESPN. 5 November 2017. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
15. "Indian women's hockey team score sensational 10-0 win over Singapore in Asia Cup". The Indian Express. PTI. 28 October 2017. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
16. Sen, Debayan (1 August 2018). "Lalremsiami takes big steps as India march on". ESPN. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
17. "Hockey WC: Lalremsiami, Vandana help India enter last eight". ESPN. 31 July 2018. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
18. "Hockey Women's World Cup: Ireland beat India in shootout to reach semi-finals". BBC Sport. 2 August 2018. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
19. "Women's Hockey World Cup: Indian Women Lose To Ireland In Quarter-Finals Via Shoot Off". NDTV. Press Trust Of India. 3 August 2018. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
20. "Asian Games 2018: Indian women's hockey team thrash Indonesia 8-0 in opener". The Indian Express. Press Trust of India. 19 August 2018. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
21. Ganesan, Uthra (21 August 2018). "Asiad hockey: Indian women's team mauls Kazakhstan 21-0". Sportstarlive. Archived from the original on 3 September 2018. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
22. Ganesan, Uthra (31 August 2018). "Asian Games: India women claim silver in hockey after 1-2 loss to Japan". The Hindu. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
23. "Lalremsiami first Mizo sportsperson to win an Asiad medal". Northeast Now. 2 September 2018. Archived from the original on 3 September 2018. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
24. "Maiden Youth Olympic silver medals for Indian hockey teams". The Tribune. Press Trust of India. 15 October 2018. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
25. "India women beat Austria 4-2 in Youth Olympics hockey". The Times of India. Press Trust of India. 8 October 2018. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
26. "Youth Olympics hockey 5s: Lalremsiami scores a brace as India beat Uruguay 2-1". Scroll.in. Press Trust of India. 8 October 2018. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
27. "Youth Olympics: Indian women's hockey team thrash Vanuatu 16-0". Rediff.com. Press Trust of India. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
28. "Hockey: Lalremsiami brace helps India defeat Spain 5-2". Scroll.in. 29 January 2019. Archived from the original on 6 February 2019. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
29. "Olympic qualifiers: Women's hockey team in final round". Deccan Herald. PTI. 22 June 2019. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
30. "Lalremsiami bags FIH Rising Star of the Year honour". Olympics.com. 24 February 2021. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
31. "Selection in Olympic team was my late father's dream: Lalremsiami". The Times of India. Press Trust of India. 20 June 2021. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
32. "Indian Hockey Teams achieve best-ever FIH World Rankings; Men's Team rise to 3rd and Women's Team to 8th". Hockey India. 7 August 2021. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
33. "Mizoram Government appoints Olympic-returned Lalremsiami as hockey chief coach". The Times of India. PTI. 20 August 2021. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
34. "Tokyo Olympian Lalremsiami to lead India in women's junior World Cup". Hindustan Times. PTI. 15 November 2021. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
35. "Salima Tete to lead India in FIH Women's Junior World Cup". The Times of India. PTI. 17 March 2022. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
36. "England beat India to win first Jr. World Cup bronze". ESPN. 12 April 2022. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
37. "Women's Asia Cup: Defending champions India dominate Malaysia in 9-0 thrashing". The New Indian Express. 22 January 2022. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
38. "South Korea beat India 3-2 in Asia Cup women's hockey semis". Hindustan Times. 26 January 2022. Retrieved 26 May 2022.

External links

• Lalremsiami at the International Hockey Federation
• Lalremsiami at Olympedia
• Lalremsiami Hmarzote at Hockey India