HITTING THE HIGHS IN HOCKEY

He comes from Manipur, the land of football, but SHANGLAKPAM NILAKANTA SHARMA has big hockey dreams, he tells Kayal Arivalan

- Kayal Arivalan

Hailing from Kontha Ahallup Makha Leikai in Imphal East, Shanglakpam Nilakanta Sharma's journey into hockey commenced in 2003, running contrary to the football-centric sports culture of Manipur. He first joined the Posterior Hockey Academy Manipur, making a switch to the Bhopal Hockey Academy in 2011. This important transition set the stage for his illustrious career. "I've seen my brothers play hockey, and that had a huge influence on me," recalls the 28-year-old midfielder. "There was a ground right in front of my house, where many people played hockey regularly. I watched them and learned the nuances by observing them; that's where it all started for me," he adds.