Bengaluru, February 28, 2026: 21-year-old Jyoti Singh, born in Jhansi, is already making waves in Indian hockey. The youngster has already shown her qualities in her short career to date, when she captained India at the FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup City of Santiago 2025. Last year she also made her senior debut, appearing in four matches of the 2024/25 FIH Hockey Pro League (Women), including a remarkable win against World No. 1, Netherlands, a performance that underlined her readiness for the biggest stage.
Jyoti’s journey with sports started at a very young age, when she visited training grounds with her father, who was an international long-distance runner. However, it was her cousin sister who inspired her to pick up the hockey stick at the age of 11.
Reflecting on her journey so far, Jyoti shared, “Sports runs in my family. My father was an international athlete, so I would go to the ground with him to do some running and also play some badminton. However, it was my cousin sister who inspired me to play hockey. She was part of the senior academy. Whenever she came home for summer vacations, I would spend time with her and wanted to be like her.”
Highlighting the role her family played throughout her career, Jyoti said, “My family and my coaches have always supported me, there was never any pressure. It is a privilege for me to come from a family of sports people as they have gone through similar experiences. My father has been an athlete, so he guides me from his classes. Even my mother, even though she does not have a sports background, supports me a lot and encourages me, especially mentally.”
Taking the first steps towards fulfilling her dream of becoming a professional hockey player, Jyoti moved to Madhya Pradesh where she further honed her skills at the Madhya Pradesh Women’s Hockey Academy in Gwalior.
Since then, achievements have followed her throughout her short career to date. She led the Indian junior team to a gold medal at the Women’s Junior Asia Cup 2024. More recently, she also played a key role in helping SG Pipers clinch the Women’s Hero Hockey India League title in the second edition of the tournament earlier this year.
Despite her young age, it’s not hard to see why Jyoti has blossomed and already made her mark on the big stage. It is her maturity and clarity of thought, especially in the face of balancing expectations, that stand out as the key features of her game.
“Sometimes when you expect more from yourself but you’re not able to perform at that level, it can be difficult. It’s a challenge when you’re in the learning phase of your career and you’re playing or competing alongside the seniors, but you can’t match that competition because you’re not at that level yet.”
“That’s when you have to understand that the difference comes down to experience. In these situations, it’s important for me to go back to basics and then gradually build back up to a level where I can perform at my best,” Jyoti noted.
As she trains in the national camp with a crucial period ahead for Indian women’s hockey – starting with the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 Qualifiers Hyderabad, Telangana – Jyoti’s focus remains on refining her game and making the most of her opportunities.
“This year is very crucial for India. We have the World Cup qualifiers and the Asian Games coming up. So my focus is on being the best player I can be and giving my all on the field whenever I get an opportunity to play for the country,” she concluded.