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Meet Indian hockey's next gen drag flick champions
Summary
Young hockey stars Deepika Kumari and Araijeet Singh Hundal combine self-belief, enviable skills and mental training to put India on top
Over the past few weeks, Indian hockey has enjoyed two success stories with a similar storyline, threaded by a common link.
At the Women’s Asian Champions Trophy in November, India were favourites as defending champions. The final stood goalless at half-time, until Deepika Kumari smashed home the winner to hand India a 1-0 win against China. Then, during the final of the Men’s Junior Asia Cup last week, the score read 3-3 at the end of the third quarter against Pakistan. Having scored twice earlier in the game, Araijeet Singh Hundal stepped up in the final quarter with two more goals to help India defend their title.
By the end of the tournaments, Kumari (11 goals) and Hundal (10 goals) had another reason to celebrate after finishing as top scorers for India. Besides their growing reputation as poachers, the two strikers have taken on an important responsibility—the art of drag flicks, traditionally left to the defenders. This duo is changing all that.
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“I first gave drag flicks a shot only in 2017. My coach, Azad Singh Malik, realised that I had the strength and asked me to have a go. At the time, I just enjoyed hitting the ball. I only realised how big a responsibility it was after joining the Indian team," Kumari, 21, says.
For Hundal, 20, it was a skill he started working on much earlier. While growing up in Pakharpur near Amritsar, he picked up the tricks of the trade under his father, Kuljit Singh, a former full-back for the Railways, who insisted that his son play as a striker. It was his suggestion that Hundal include drag flicks as part of the training sessions. “It was a unique skill to have as a striker. But my father and I didn’t know much about it. I would look up videos, so it was self-learning ," Hundal says.
Former India international Rupinder Pal Singh was the inspiration for Kumari and Hundal. Hundal would observe his technique in the footage he located online, while Kumari had the opportunity to work with Singh once she joined the India camp. They also learned how to deal with the pressure of expectations that comes with every penalty corner.
“I visualise the best hit that I’ve managed during training—the flow and mindset I was in, my body position. I don’t see anything else in that moment, nor think if I’ll score or miss. I just narrow in on my target and give it my best," Hundal says.
“During the early days, there would be so many things running in my head before a penalty corner. Over the last few months, I’ve worked on the mentality needed to focus on the goal and, more important, to not get in two minds. Just a lot of positive thinking... the body responds accordingly," Kumari says.
Though both come from sporting families, the two youngsters had contrasting journeys into hockey. Until the age of nine, Kumari followed her brother to the wrestling arena in Hisar, much like their grandfather and uncles had in the past. Adjacent to it was a hockey ground, where she would observe a few girls at play. She too wanted to have a go and coach Malik took her under his wing. By the time she was 18, she had made her senior debut, being entrusted with drag flicking duties as well.
“I hadn’t thought of representing India. I just played because I enjoyed it. But in 2017 during the sub-junior nationals I realised that the good players were being picked for the national camp. That was the turning point. I wanted to be there as well," says Kumari.
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Hundal hails from a family of hockey players. He fondly remembers the scooter rides to the ground with his father and watching him train. It was where he first picked up a stick. “I learnt the importance of being patient and working hard from my father. His approach was simple—if the results weren’t coming, put in twice the work. If it still didn’t happen, it required thrice the effort," he says.
At the age of 12, Hundal joined Maharaja Ranjit Singh Hockey Academy in Punjab and rose up the ranks to play at the national level. He made the junior India squad for the 2021 Junior World Cup in Bhubaneswar. Earlier this year, he made his senior debut.
“My grandfather wanted to represent India but he couldn’t. Then he thought one of his four sons would do it, but they too didn’t make the cut. So my family was overjoyed when I played for India. But they also told me I shouldn’t be satisfied with it. It meant I had to work harder if I wanted to perform better," he says.
However, during the early days, Hundal’s eagerness to prove his worth and cement his place on the team often led to him overthinking things. A senior player offered a simple word of advice that helped him settle in: to stay in the present instead of thinking about the future.
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His wiry frame, around 6ft, 3 inches makes, makes him an unlikely presence in the forward line. While he has the advantage of better reach, there’s also a higher chance of picking up injuries. “I have to constantly look after my body. There’s an added focus on recovery—I ensure that I spend adequate time on mobility, stretching and massages," Hundal says.
“It’s been a good year for me—my senior debut, playing the FIH Pro League and now the Junior Asia Cup. I’ve realised the need to get stronger and get better with every match," he adds.
Kumari has had to deal with mixed emotions over the last few years. After making the cut on the senior side in 2022, she was a part of the bronze-medal winning squad at the Asian Games, the Asia Cup and the FIH Pro League. It was followed by gold at the Asian Champions Trophy and Junior Asia Cup in 2023. However, there was disappointment when India failed to qualify for the Paris Olympics. “We had to regroup and work together as a unit. I feel we’ve done well to bounce back as a team," Kumari says.
She has been working on the mental aspect—learning to believe in her abilities rather than thinking too much about the opponent. A newfound love for reading self-help books has also helped. “It’s allowed me to deal with pressure and bring in positivity. Negative thoughts are unavoidable, but I’ve learned how to overcome them through the tips I’ve picked up while reading," she says.
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This week, India got their women’s Junior Asia Cup campaign off to a flyer with a 13-1 win against Bangladesh where Kumari clinched a hat-trick. Next month, she’ll be turning out for Delhi SG Pipers as part of the inaugural women’s Hockey India League (HIL). “Whenever I watched the men’s league, I would wish for a tournament for us. So I was thrilled to learn that there was one happening this year. It’s going to be important for women’s hockey in the time ahead," she says.
Hundal too will turn out for Team Gonsika in the HIL later this month. The auction in October left him surprised when he fetched ₹42 lakh—the same price as former Indian skipper Manpreet Singh, and more than Olympic champions such as Holland’s Jonas de Gues and Belgium’s Tom Boon. “I feel my efforts have been noticed. I hope to give my 100% so that they are satisfied to have invested in the right player," he says. 
Shail Desai is a Mumbai-based freelance writer.
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