From casual goalkeeper to India’s best: Bichu Devi dreams of LA28 glory
Manipur may be the sixth smallest state in India, but when it comes to hockey, it consistently produces some of the country’s best talent. From Olympian and goalkeeping stalwart Nilkamal Pangambam to stars like Sushila Chanu, Nilkanta Sharma, Chinglensana Singh and Surajlata Devi, the state has built a rich legacy in the sport.
INDIAN HOCKEY: COMPLETE INFORMATION
Now Bichu Devi continues that tradition, becoming one of the brightest stars in Indian hockey and quickly establishing himself as one of the country’s most reliable goalkeepers. Since her debut in India in 2022, the 25-year-old has enjoyed a meteoric rise. In a short span of time, she went from a promising prospect to a key member of the national team, winning a bronze medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games and playing a key role in the SG Pipers’ triumph in the Women’s Hockey India League, where her heroics proved decisive in the final.
Her growth was again evident at the FIH Women’s Nations Cup in New Zealand, where India lifted the title. Bichu shared the duties with veteran Savita Punia and featured in all five matches as India conceded just six goals during the tournament and kept a clean sheet in both the semi-finals and the final.
Her remarkable rise has also earned her individual recognition. Bichu beat Krishan Pathak, Princedeep Singh and Suraj Karkera to win the 2025 Baljit Singh Goalkeeper Award, underscoring her status as one of India’s leading goalkeepers at the senior level.
However, none of this was to happen.
Before medals, prizes and representative challenges, Bichu had a completely different dream.
In an interview with India Today, Bichu smiled as she looked back on the twist of fate that changed the course of her life forever. She never wanted to be a hockey player. Her dream was to become a soccer player.
“Whenever people ask me that question, I laugh because my story is a little different. I got into hockey by accident.”
“Actually, I wanted to play football. I played football with my brothers since I was a kid. I went to try out for football at SAI, but before I got there, the selections were over and the vacancies were full.”
“My father spoke to the headmaster, who was from our village and knew him. He explained that I had come for the football trials. The headmaster said that hockey still had a lot of vacancies because there were not many hockey players in Manipur at that time. He told me to stay for one or two months with hockey and later, if football spots became available, I would be moved.”
“I had no hockey talent at all, but I passed the physical tests. Even after I started hockey, I went to practice football.”
The dream of becoming a footballer seemed to have faded away. When she was informed that there was still no vacancy in the football academy, Bichu was devastated.
“I cried a lot. I said I didn’t want to play hockey. My dad told me to give hockey some time because I was young. If I liked it, I could continue, otherwise we’ll find another way.”
“Slowly, I started to like hockey. At that time, I played as a striker and sometimes as a full back.”
As it turned out, becoming a hockey player was only the first unexpected twist on her path.
If being a hockey player was an accident, becoming a goalkeeper was even more unexpected. The turning point came when Manipur’s first Olympian Nilkamal Pangambam spotted something special in the young player.
“Our first Olympian from Manipur, P. Nilkamal sir, came to train with us for about six months. He saw me and said to my father, ‘This kid has good height. Make her a goalkeeper. She has certain qualities and will progress faster as a goalkeeper.’
“I cried again. I said I didn’t want to be a goalkeeper. At that time I didn’t like goalkeepers at all because people made fun of them.
“But step by step they forced me to wear the goalkeeper jersey.
A player who didn’t want to play hockey and then be a goalie was slowly being pushed towards a future she could never have imagined.
The next major breakthrough came at Gwalior.
What started as a casual sports journey began to take shape as a serious career.
“I played the Junior Nationals in Ranchi in 2015 and did well. Then the coach who was involved in setting up the MP Academy goalkeepers needed a goalkeeper. After discussions, I joined the academy in Gwalior.”
“After about six months there, I started playing properly as a goalkeeper. That’s where my hockey journey really began. In 2015, 2016 and 2017, I joined the junior team, and since 2019 I’ve been continuously with the senior team.”
Today, Bichu says her story doesn’t seem like a dream. But there was one moment when she realized how far she had come.
Selection for the Youth Olympics changed everything.
For Bicha, the initial motivation was surprisingly simple.
She wanted the respect that national team players commanded whenever they returned to their academies.
“When the players came back from the national team camps, I noticed that they got a different kind of respect from the coaches and everyone else. I wondered why. Then I said to myself, ‘I want to go to the camp too and get that respect’.”
“After that, I started working harder. Then in the 2016-17 Junior Nationals, I performed really well and got selected. Once I got to the camp, I realized there was another level. Then I wanted to make the final 18-player squad. I worked even harder after the camp.”
“Eventually I made the last 18, then I realized I had to work even harder to make the starting eleven. When I was selected for the Youth Olympics, it was the first time I was surprised at how far I had come.”
“From there I understood that it would take even more hard work to make it to the senior team. From then on, my only focus was to play for India and do something for the team.”
Her hard work eventually made her India’s goalkeeper of the year. Still, even now, Bichu believes there is still much to achieve.
SAVITA PUNIA: RIVAL AND MENTOR
When it comes to Indian women’s hockey, few names carry as much weight as Savita Punia.
The veteran wicket-keeper remains India’s number one, but Bichu insists the competition between them has only made both players better.
“She treats me like a little sister. From the day I joined the senior team, she was always very caring. She never yelled at me or got mad at me.”
“Our bond is that if I do something well, she’s ready to learn from it. If she does something well, I’m ready to learn from her. We help each other.”
As Savita enters the final stages of her career, many see Bicha as the natural successor to India’s No.1 jersey. However, the 25-year-old is not setting any deadlines.
Under coach Sjoerd Marijn, both goalkeepers were given significant opportunities, which allowed them to constantly push each other.
“Right now I’m getting opportunities to play regularly. Maybe I can be No. 1 tomorrow, maybe the day after tomorrow or maybe one or two years from now. Nobody knows.”
“What gives me confidence is that you give us a chance to play both. Whenever I get a chance, I will try to do my best.”
“I know Savita didi will also give her best. So I never thought about becoming number one after a year or two.”
GOING FOR THE OLYMPIC DREAM
The coming months could define the future of Indian women’s hockey.
The team has the World Cup and Asian Games on the horizon, with the latter offering a direct path to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Bichu admits that she felt the pressure when she played in the Asian Games for the first time. This time, however, the experience changed her perspective.
“When I played the Asian Games last time, it was my first and I felt nervous and under pressure.
“But now with the experience I don’t want to think too much. We believe in ourselves and what the coaches are teaching us. We just have to follow everything with full faith.”
“We know we have two very big tournaments after the Nations Cup. But we don’t want to exaggerate the results because sometimes it can have the opposite effect. At the moment we are just focusing on following what the coaches are teaching us and improving our game.”
Qualifying for the Los Angeles Olympics remains the top prize on the horizon.
For a player who got into hockey by accident, struggled to become a goalie and simply wanted to earn the same respect as the stars of the national team, representing India at the Olympics would be the perfect culmination of an extraordinary journey.
“Every player dreams of playing and achieving something in a big tournament. For every player, the Olympics are special. Right now, my focus and dream is the Olympics.”
– The end
Published on:
June 25, 2026 10:00 AM IST