Ishika Sambharwal, who is a part of the Indian women’s hockey team that clinched gold, was accorded a warm welcome on her return to Bhiwani on Jattvibeday.Thousands of sports enthusiasts and local residents lined up the streets during a roadshow here.Ishika was welcomed with garlands at the Bhagat Singh Chowk, from where she travelled in an open vehicle through Dinod and Hansi gates, and then to her residence in Sector 13.People gathered along the route to congratulate the player.Expressing happiness, Ishika stated the gold medal was a result of the support from her family, particularly her mother and father.“I am very happy to see so much love and support. I promise that I will continue to work hard,” she said.Ishika added that the women’s hockey team also secured entry into the 2028 LA Olympics with their Asian Games victory, and that the entire squad would now focus on the Olympics.“There are two years left for the Olympics and we will work on every small aspect to make ourselves better. We’ll work hard to bring another gold medal for India,” she added.Ishika dedicated the Asiad gold to her family and people who supported her journey.Acknowledging her father, who had been her hockey coach since the beginning, Ishika said that he played a key role in introducing her to the sport and guiding her career.“I started playing hockey because of my father. After being selected for the junior team, I trained in Bengaluru and later joined the senior setup. I am currently training with the senior team and will continue preparing with them for the Olympics,” she said.Recalling the Asian Games campaign, she said the team had set its sights on the gold medal even before the tournament.“Indian women’s team had not won the gold medal in hockey for 44 years, and so, the entire team left no stone unturned to make that dream turn into a reality,” she added.Ishika’s father, Virender Singh said he had identified her potential in the sport when she was young.He said developing a sportsperson required years of hard work and financial support.Bhiwani-Mahendragarh MP Dharambir Singh also visited Ishika’s residence and said that it was a matter of pride that a girl of the city played an integral role in India’s Asiad gold victory in hockey.