Aizawl, Nov 13: Indian women’s hockey player and Olympian Lalremsiami Hmar on Friday became the first sportsperson from Mizoram to receive the prestigious Arjuna Award.
The 26-year-old was among 17 sportspersons selected for the Arjuna Award 2025 by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports on August 18. President Droupadi Murmu formally presented the honour to her at a ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on Friday.
Lalremsiami, who hailed from Kolasib in the northern part of Mizoram bordering Assam, took up hockey at a young age.
Her talent was spotted by teachers Lallawmawmi, Lalrampari and Lalrothuami, who encouraged her to pursue the sport.
She joined the state-run hockey academy at Thenzawl in 2011 at the age of 11, before moving to the National Hockey Academy in New Delhi in 2016.
Lalremsiami made her national debut at the Junior Nehru Hockey Tournament in October 2011 and was later selected for India’s Under-18 team for the Asian Cup in 2016.
She earned her first senior national team call-up in 2017 and was part of India’s Asia Cup-winning side that year.
Since then, she has established herself as a key member of the Indian team, featuring in several major international tournaments, including the Tokyo Olympics 2020, where India finished fourth.
Her commitment to the national team drew widespread admiration in 2019 when she chose to remain with the squad for the FIH Women’s Series in Japan despite the death of her father, Lalthansanga Zote.
India won the tournament and secured qualification for the Tokyo Olympics, making Lalremsiami the first woman from Mizoram to compete at the Olympics.
In 2020, Lalremsiami became the first Indian woman hockey player to win the International Hockey Federation’s Women’s Rising Star of the Year award.
Her list of achievements has since grown to include a bronze at the 2022 Asian Games, Asian Champions Trophy titles in 2023 and 2024, and gold at the 2026 Asian Games.
The Mizoram government had earlier announced a cash reward of Rs 40 lakh each for Lalremsiami and fellow Mizo player Lalthantluangi for their contribution to India’s women’s hockey team that won gold at the Asian Games on October 2. (PTI)
