Women's Junior Asia Cup 2023: Painter-turned- goalkeeper Madhya Pradesh girl makes it to Indian Squad

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The same hands that she uses to colour her imaginational, will now save goals for the Indian Hockey Team in the upcoming Women's Junior Asia Cup 2023 to be held in Japan. The 18-year-old Aditi Maheshwari is not only a good hockey player but also a dab hand at painting. Maheshwari who has been an important part of the state team as a goalkeeper, will be seen in the Indian squad for the first time.

Hockey India on Wednesday announced an 18 member Indian Junior Women’s Team for the prestigious Women’s Junior Asia Cup 2023 scheduled to begin from 2nd June in Kakamigahara, Japan. MP girl Maheshwari named as Goalkeeper along with Madhuri Kindo. Maheshwari initially started playing hockey as a striker but later her Madhya Pradesh State Women’s Hockey Academy coach Paramjit Brar saw her excellent hand-eye coordination and changed her position from a striker to goalkeeper. When the coach changed Maheshwari’s position from striker to goalkeeper, she was not happy about it at all. It took her around two years to get the hang of goalkeeping. "This shift from being a goal-doer to a goalkeeper was by far the hardest part of my journey," Maheshwari told the Free Press.

After a two-year struggle, Maheswari became a full-blown hockey goalie. She made waves in the hockey fraternity when, despite being a junior player, Maheshwari made it to the state team for the 36th National Games 2022, which is a senior tournament, and clinched a bronze with her team. After ruling the national arena, she followed in the footsteps of her hockey idol, Indian team goalkeeper Parattu Raveendran Sreejesh, and made it to the Indian squad. This Asia Cup will be her first international tournament as a budding junior star. "Everything that I have achieved is all because of the MP Academy." "If I were not a part of the academy, pursuing sports as a career would have been impossible for me," Maheshwari said.