During the just concluded 14th Hockey India Senior Women National Championship 2024, Hockey Bengal's 19-year-old forward Sanjana Horo finished second in goals, trailing only Deepika from Haryana. Sanjana finished the tournament with 13 goals before her side was eliminated by Hockey Madhya Pradesh in the quarterfinals.

Sanjana Horo is an important part of the Hockey Bengal front line; her eye-catching stick movement, clinical finishing, and ability to find the back of the net are all enjoyable to watch. The 19-year-old from Jharkhand has made significant progress in hockey.

Sanjana, who was born and raised in Jharkhand, picked the Hockey stick when she was nine years old. Surrounded by her homeland's rugged terrain, Sanjana found refuge and enthusiasm in the game's rhythmic flow. She refined her talents on rough terrain, fueled by tenacity and strong support from her family members.

Impressed with her exceptional performance, republicworld.com caught up with the protagonist herself. Expressing delight, Sanjana said, "It was my first time at senior nationals and I believe I performed well. I scored the most goals from my team, I am extremely happy with it."

On being asked how it felt to play alongside some of the players who have represented India at the international level, she said, "I am pleased to play alongside the players who have featured at the international stage."

Considering her sharp skillset and terrific game awareness, Sanjana could soon get a call-up to the India side. While it would be a journey worth writing memoirs on, but the inception of it started in school

"I started playing hockey at the school level. Hockey was well taught in my school. There one of the teachers told me to move to a Hostel to pursue it further. But I was reluctant, I did not like the idea of moving to a hostel but sir made it clear that it is imperative. And then I moved to a hostel in Jharkhand's Ranchi district. My performance flourished there. Then I shifted to Sai Hostel, which is also in Ranchi. Owing to not finding a ground there, we were transferred to Kolkata. My performance kept getting better. I did well in the junior nationals in Rourkela, subsequently, I was picked for the junior India camp. Currently, I am playing at the Junior India camp."

Sanjana received immense support from her family, however, Hockey was not her first choice

"My father is an Army veteran and my mother is a housewife. They supported me in my journey. My father also used to play and the sport was inculcated in me through him. First, my brother played and I am continuing the norm. Moreover, I have a younger brother, who has also developed an interest in hockey."

"My father inspired me to play. I started playing at 15, and currently, I am 19." Sanjana added.

"I was never interested in hockey. My father told me to play and showed the the route, hence I am here playing hockey. My father wants to see me play for India and make the country proud." She concluded.