New Delhi, 06 March (H.S.): At just 23 years old, Rutaja Dadaso Pisal has become a regular player in the Indian senior women's hockey team. Recognized for her strong presence in midfield, Rutaja has been included in the Indian team for the FIH Hockey Women's World Cup 2026 Qualifier in Hyderabad (Telangana). This tournament will be held from March 8 to 14.Coming from the small town of Phaltan in Satara district, Maharashtra, Rutaja's journey to hockey has been somewhat different.
Speaking to Hockey India, she said, Before hockey, we used to play kho-kho in school. In Maharashtra, this sport is quite popular. Our teachers saw that our running was good and stamina was also good, so they encouraged us to play hockey. That's where my hockey journey began.
Rutaja further said, I started playing hockey around 12 years of age. To join my academy in Pune, I had to give fitness and endurance tests. I passed that test, and from there my hockey career progressed.
For Rutaja, coming from such a village, the path was not easy, where girls coming forward in sports was not common.She said, In my village, girls playing hockey was not very normal. At that time, families also thought whether children should be sent out for sports or not. But a coach from the village supported us and motivated us to move forward.
After that, Rutaja performed brilliantly in state and national-level tournaments and earned a place in the junior women's hockey team. She was also part of the Indian team that won the Women's Junior Asia Cup in 2023, after which she got a chance in the senior team camp.For the past two years, Rutaja has been part of the senior national camp, and she believes that it has significantly improved her game.
She said, There are many similarities between junior and senior camps, but the intensity of training with senior players is much higher. Staying in camp for the last few years has improved my game a lot.
Even playing in midfield, her understanding and movement inside the circle give her goal-scoring opportunities. In 20 matches for the senior team, she has scored seven goals so far. One reason for this is that she has previously played as a forward as well.
She said, Currently, I am playing as a midfielder, but earlier I used to play the forward role. Sometimes in the team, there are more players in one position and fewer in another, so we have to adapt ourselves according to the team's needs.
Regarding the team's current goal, Rutaja said, At this time, our main goal is to qualify for the FIH Hockey World Cup. After that, the biggest dream is to play in the Los Angeles Olympics. We want to qualify for every major tournament and perform well.
On her personal preparation, she said, My strength is scoring goals and creating penalty corners, so I am working on that. Besides, I am also focusing on regaining the ball quickly and increasing dribbling speed. I need to make myself even better and support my teammates in difficult situations, so that the team can perform consistently better.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
