Moni Gupta (17)
New Sion Secondary School
“The days felt too long when I couldn’t play hockey,” says 17-year-old Moni Gupta about the time she fell sick and couldn’t play her favourite sport. Moni was intrigued by it even before she began to play – the credit for that goes to her younger sister. “I used to watch her go play and wondered when I could too, I had learned for a month in my previous school but after I shifted to New Sion Secondary, I was selected by the academy,” she explains. Moni is not only a talented sportswoman, but also a serious student, she loves writing and finishing her homework on time and will continue to pursue her college education in the field of Commerce. Moni shares room space with four of her siblings: an elder sister, two younger sisters and a younger brother in her house near Antop Hill Church. Her father owns a thela and is constantly at the risk of it being whisked off by the municipality. Despite the inconvenience her family remains positive, her parents were incredibly happy to see her photo in a newspaper’s hockey related article. Hockey, she says, has empowered her to step out of her house unafraid.