Rohtak trio shines at Asian Games: Suchika wins bronze, Deepika scores 8 in hockey rout, Shafali hits T20 century

Rohtak has three reasons to celebrate at the Asian Games being held in Aichi-Nagoya (Japan), with Suchika Tariyal Hooda clinching a bronze in traditional mixed martial arts (MMA), Deepika Sehrawat creating a new record by scoring eight goals in India’s 19-0 win over Uzbekistan, and Shafali Verma hitting her maiden T20 century.

Hailing from Rohtak district, the three sportspersons have brought pride to their families, the district, state and the nation through their remarkable performances on the international stage. Their achievements have sparked celebrations among family members and evoked widespread appreciation from residents across the district.

“We were expecting a gold medal from Suchika, but her bronze medal-winning performance has also made us proud. She will return home on September 24, and we are preparing to give her a warm welcome. Suchika has won four international medals in judo and also represented India at the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games in 2022,” said her husband, Kapil Hooda, a senior manager with Maruti Suzuki in Gurugram.

Suchika hails from Rohtak city and is married to Kapil, a native of Kiloi village. The couple now resides in Dev Colony, Rohtak.

“Suchika currently works as a junior coach with the Department of Sports, Haryana. She has worked extremely hard to excel in her sport. We are all eagerly waiting for her return so that we can celebrate this special achievement with her,” Kapil added.

Similarly, the family of 22-year-old Deepika Sehrawat, a native of Bhaisuru village, feels elated over her stunning performance and remains hopeful of another strong showing in her upcoming hockey matches.

Interestingly, Deepika’s sporting journey began in childhood, not on a hockey field but at a wrestling facility in Hisar, where she accompanied her elder brother. Her father, Jagdish Sehrawat, worked as a laboratory assistant at Haryana Agricultural University. Now retired, he lives in his native village.

Sport runs deep in the Sehrawat family. Deepika’s elder brother, Pravesh Sehrawat, is a national-level wrestler who later joined the Indian Army, while her mother is a homemaker.

“At the age of eight, Deepika started accompanying her elder brother Pravesh to the Sports Authority of India facility in Hisar. It was there that hockey caught her attention. After watching the sport for nearly a year, she decided to take it up herself. Deepika began playing hockey at the age of nine. She progressed through the state and junior levels before entering the senior national setup in 2022,” said Jagdish.

Meanwhile, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and several other leaders congratulated Deepika on her remarkable performance through their social media handles.