Junior hockey World Cup: Goalkeeper Bichu shows promise as future custodian of India’s hopes

When Romen Singh Kharibam heard about his youngest daughter’s heroics during India’s Under-21 World Cup match on Sunday, he had a rush of emotions unlike anything he had experienced before.
“I was in tears,” Kharibam says. “Ek aankh mein khushi ka tha, ek dukh ka (in one eye, there were tears of joy; in the other, of sorrow).”
‘Khushi’, he says, because ‘Binchu’ – as they call her at home, but known as Bichu in the hockey world – had shown why she is seen as the next big prospect in Indian hockey. ‘Dukh’, because he wasn’t able to watch her coming-of-age performance. “No one in the family has seen her play, actually. It’s not affordable for the family to travel to watch her play even in India. And we are not that tech-savvy to watch the games on phone,” Romen, 52, says.
Had he watched her play, Kharibam would have understood the buzz around the 21-year-old goalkeeper, and why she has been fast-tracked into the senior set-up.
Against Germany – a team ranked higher than India in the seniors and considered to be superior technically – Bichu’s acrobatics between the posts, her ability to stay in the right position to cover goal-scoring angles, and the fearlessness to get her body behind Germany’s fierce, cannonball-like shots ensured a 2-1 win for India and with that, a place in the quarterfinals.

The Kharibam Show! #IndiaKaGame #HockeyIndia #FIHWorldCup #RisingStars #JWC2021 #hockeyinvites @CMO_Odisha @IndiaSports @Media_SAI @sports_odisha pic.twitter.com/A7L0ySWlEN
— Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) April 3, 2022
It’s tempting to label India’s performance as a one-woman show but in truth, that wasn’t how it played out. One of the traits of the senior Indian women’s side, over the last year or so, has been that multiple players contribute to a win rather than just one standout performer, as it sometimes happened in the past. The juniors seem to be following in their footsteps.
The backline – comprising vice-captain Ishika Chaudhary, Baljeet Kaur, Lalramnghaki Marina and Akshata Dhekale – did its job soaking in Germany’s relentless pressure while skipper Salima Tete and senior India star Lalremsiami used their pace to provide thrust to India’s attacks.

Our GOALIE is a KEEPER 💙
For the way he stood between the opponents and team India’s victory!#IndiaKaGame #HockeyIndia #FIHProLeague #HockeyAtItsBest @CMO_Odisha @sports_odisha @IndiaSports @Media_SAI pic.twitter.com/QfV7WJSqh7
— Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) April 3, 2022
Yet, there were times on Sunday when it appeared to be one-versus-11, especially in the closing stages of the match when Germany, in desperation to reduce a two-goal deficit, took their goalkeeper off for an extra outfield player.
Bichu made nine saves, each one seemingly better than the other. She, with the help of the defenders, blunted eight German penalty corners and midway through the second quarter, displayed incredible agility to dive to her right, from a stationary position, and flung her stick to keep the ball out from a penalty stroke.
This ability of hers – to move swiftly – was one of the reasons she was made a goalkeeper a decade ago, just when she had joined the Sports Authority of India’s centre as a trainee, Romen says.
Bichu made nine saves, each one seemingly better than the other. (Credit: Hockey India)
Accidental star
Hockey wasn’t Bichu’s first choice. No one in her family played the sport – her father is a small-time farmer and elder twin brothers work as drivers. Her village, Charangpat in Manipur’s Thoubal drict, Romen adds, is full of farmers like him while most others aspire to join the security forces. There are some who play hockey but no one had progressed even to the state level.
Bichu, who made her senior India debut earlier this year, got noticed for her athletic abilities during the Yaoshang festival, the week-long affair celebrated along with Holi. “For five-six days during that week, multiple sports events are held and Binchu always took part in dance races, which she often won,” Romen says.
The secretary of a local community club suggested that Bichu, who was in Class 7 at the time, join the SAI Centre, where she could put her ability to better use. Having seen how sport has been a tool to lift people out of poverty, Romen took to the idea instantly. But still, hockey wasn’t anywhere on their radar.
“We initially thought about boxing,” Romen says, adding that the community club officials, too, were convinced that it would be a logical sport for her to pursue. A straightforward choice, it might look like, given the popularity of the sport in Manipur, the accessibility and the agility Bichu had shown. But Romen says it had nothing to do with these factors.

The #Josh was high as 🇮🇳 Jr Women Hockey team won 2-1 vs 🇩🇪 in Jr Women #HockeyWorldCup match played at Potchefstroom 🇿🇦. Indian High Commissioner Jaideep Sarkar congratulated the team for their tremendous performance. #HockeyIndia pic.twitter.com/umPY5TbrG8
— India in SouthAfrica (@hci_pretoria) April 3, 2022
“I wanted her to take up an individual sport, where her fate did not depend on anyone else,” Romen says. “In team sports, even if you play a perfect game, there’s a chance you might still pay the price of a make someone else can make.”
The technical staff at SAI felt otherwise. Bichu, her father says, got selected on the basis of her endurance (“she outlasted other prospective trainees when they were asked to run during their selection trials”) and the coaches felt her agility and explosiveness would come in handy as a goalkeeper in hockey.
Romen let the coaches do their thing, not interfering once with sporting decisions. His role, he was aware, was to create a support system that wouldn’t hinder Bichu’s progress. So, he started doing odd jobs to supplement his meagre income from farming.
“There were times when I even had to borrow money to courier documents after she moved to an academy in Chandigarh,” Romen says. “It takes a lot to raise an athlete. Not just financial commitment but also patience, especially when you have very little income and have to take care of four children.”
Romen doesn’t quite know how the family pulled it off. “But it’s all worthwhile. She is the only reason we are living our life with dignity,” Romen says. “I only wish I could watch her play.”