Surja Lata had left no stone unturned to put her sport into the limelight. She went ahead in 2004 to walk the ramp and begin a new era for Indian women’s hockey. She had then said, “Our performance have not got us what we deserve and probably shows like this can help us in our endeavours. It can also highlight the glamourous side of women’s hockey.”

After her two-year-old son, Surja’s passion for the game remains unchanged. She enters the hockey turf after a long gap and and admits that her fitness level is not the same as it used to be. But that does not stop her from getting back on the ground where she was loved and cherished. Ask her why she did not choose to sit at home and bring up her child and pat comes the reply, “What can I do better than playing hockey.”

This season, the 27-year-old has been guiding the girls right from the start of the selections for the senior national camp at the BHA. But before that, shecompletes her responsibilities at the Western Railway head office and then she heads home to later return to the turf. The responsibilities of married life did not affect her playing career and but after motherhood she says, “I do feel I’m not at my best, but I want to play hockey in some form or the other.” It is after ten years that she will be playing for Mumbai as all these years she had represented Western Railways.

This gutsy mid-fielder had forward Sanggai Chanu to give her company in the India and also in the Indian Railways teams. Together the state-mates have won numerous laurels for their country and employers and the duo will reunite for Mumbai. Chanu has braved caesarean operation and after just five months, is back on the field to play hockey. Remind her of the dangers of playing and she smiles and says, “Kuch nahi hota hai.” And she continues to jog and later starts with her stomach exercises. In between they mention about doing their daily chores and looking after the kids, but finally admit that ‘playing hockey rejuvenates them’.

When on the field they are just like the other 18 girls, matching them with their dribbling and running. They are there for the young girls when they need advice. But the duo are waiting eagerly for goalkeeper Helen Mary, who will leave her six-month-old baby in Bangalore to join her former India team buddies.