Hockey was an escape route but it shaped my career

Olympic bronze medal-winning forward Abhishek took up hockey as an escape route from studies, and he has never regretted the decision as the sport has given him recognition, stardom and all that he aspired to be in life.

Though Abhishek managed to complete his graduation through correspondence, he always knew that sports would give him a purpose.

"I started hockey when I was 11 or 12 years old. There was no other option in Sonipat at that time. A friend used to travel a lot every month to play hockey," Abhishek, who was a vital part of India's Paris Olympics bronze medal-winning campaign told PTI in an interview.

"I never had the patience to sit and study and when I saw my friend hardly attending classes because of his hockey engagements, I thought I too could do the same if I started playing the sport."