From a mud house in Odisha’s Sundargarh to India’s U-18 Asia Cup gold-winning hockey team, Armaan Soreng’s inspiring journey is one of grit and determination
Satish Sharma
There is no dearth of sporting talent in India. Many sportsmen from remote villages and tribal areas of the country have reached the international stage with their hard work and dedication. Arman Soreng, a resident of a small village in Sundargarh district of Odisha, is one such rising star whose story is an example of struggle, dedication and making dreams come true. Sixteen-year-old Armaan Soreng has returned from winning a gold medal as a member of the Indian team at the 6th U-18 Asia Cup Hockey Championship in Japan this month.
A dream born in a mud house
Born in Luthupatra Barpali village of Kesramal Panchayat of Rajgangpur block of Sundargarh district, Armaan spent his childhood in the midst of deprivation. His father Sanjit Soreng is a daily wage laborer and mother Sunita Soreng is a housewife. In a family with three brothers and one sister, there was always financial hardship. Growing up in a mud house, life was not easy for Armaan. But his dreams were never small.
In Sundargarh district, which is called the nursery of Indian hockey, Armaan used to play barefoot with his friends with a stick made of bamboo. Later, he got the opportunity to play with a real hockey stick for the first time at the Grassroots Training Center in Kesramal. From here his life took a new direction.
In the year 2022, he was selected for Sports Hostel, which laid a strong foundation for his professional career. Coaches like Prafulla Tirkey and Rajan Ekka recognized his talent and continuously nurtured him.
From midfielder to reliable defender
Armaan started playing as a midfielder. But after being selected for the first time in the national training camp in Bhopal this year, coach Sardar Singh advised him to play the role of defender, seeing the lack of strong defenders in the team.
Armaan accepted the new responsibility without any hesitation and quickly adapted himself to the role. Today, he can play both midfield and defense positions with equal efficiency.
Since being selected in the hockey hostel, he has been continuously representing Odisha in National School Games, Sub-Junior National Competitions. From becoming champions in the Eastern Zone Under-16 tournament in Ranchi in 2023 to Guwahati, Gwalior, Rohtak and Rajgir, he has led his team to many medals and also captained the team.
After being selected for the first national camp in Bhopal in April, this year Armaan, the only one from Odisha, earned a place in the Indian squad for the U-18 Asia Cup. India won the gold medal in this prestigious tournament held in Japan and Armaan performed brilliantly throughout the tournament. Interestingly, the coaching staff trusted him so much that he spent the full 60 minutes on the field in every match. He was not rested under the rotation in any match.
Sharing his experiences in the Asia Cup, Armaan says that the toughest match of the tournament was against Pakistan. At one point, the Indian team was trailing 2-3, but showed great resilience and came back to win 5-3. Before the final, the defeat in the league match against Japan gave the team a chance to understand their weaknesses. The coaches corrected the mistakes through video analysis and the result came out as a gold medal.
Despite international success, Armaan’s family continues to face financial challenges. Still, the family believes that the son’s hard work will one day bring new light to their life.
Armaan, who considers the star player of the Indian team Hardik Singh as his role model, dreams of making a place in the senior Indian team and representing the country in major competitions.
A journey from a small village to Japan shows that talent does not come from a big city or a rich family. Regardless of mud houses, lack of finances and limited resources, if the goal is clear and the hard work is sincere, the path to success becomes itself. His journey is proof that when a person like him shines, its light inspires the entire society.
(The author is a Senior Sports Journalist. Views expressed are personal)