From Struggles to Strength: Beauty Dungdung's Inspiring Hockey Comeback

At 22, Beauty Dungdung overcomes personal and physical challenges to return to the Indian Women's Hockey Team. After a severe knee injury and the loss of her father, she takes on immense responsibilities, balancing family obligations with her athletic career, driven by her father's memory and her family's needs.

At just 22, Beauty Dungdung shoulders significant responsibilities both on and off the hockey field. Currently training at the Indian Women's Hockey Team national camp in Bengaluru, returning to the turf posed the toughest challenge of her life. "It took me about two years to make a comeback," Beauty stated in a Hockey India press release, reflecting on the severe knee injury she endured in 2023.

Months of rehabilitation left her questioning her future with India's team. Her physical pain was eclipsed by heartbreak when her father died during her recovery. "My father passed away during my injury period. I was constantly back and forth between home and the camp," she shared. "There were moments of doubt about a comeback."

Hailing from a small Jharkhand village, Beauty's father was her hero and supporter, carving her first hockey stick out of bamboo. Later, he worked as a daily wage laborer in far-off states to support her ambitions. "With Papa gone, I now manage everything," Beauty said softly.

Today, Beauty is her family's mainstay, thanks to her job at Indian Oil. She supports her brother's family, funds her niece and nephews' education, and cares for her partially paralyzed, memory-impaired mother. "Managing this is stressful," Beauty admits. "Mummy constantly asks, 'When will you come home?'"

Balancing hockey pressures with personal sadness is tough, but Beauty remains resilient. "Overthinking would cause trouble, so I focus on the game. It's fulfilling to support my family financially," she explained.

When overwhelmed, she leans on her hockey family. "Teammates lift my spirits when I'm low. Before matches, if I feel off, they motivate me," she shared. Beauty reclaimed her rhythm playing in the Asian Champions Trophy and the Hero Hockey India League. Now, in the national camp, she prepares for the crucial FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 Qualifiers in Hyderabad.

Renowned for her running and receiving, Beauty rebuilds her confidence within the striking circle. No longer simply a young girl playing for fun, she plays for her mother's care, her family's future, and the memory of the father who crafted her first bamboo stick.

(With inputs from agencies.)