At 5 am, when the city is still quiet, 80 girls studying at School of Eminence, Mundian Kalan, Ludhiana, start their two-hour hockey practice session.After attending classes through the day, these girls, with humble backgrounds, return to the ground for the evening session that continues till 7 pm.For many of these girls, the journey to the hockey ground begins from homes where every rupee matters.“My father works as a delivery man, but he has never stopped me from playing. I want to represent the country at the global stage one day,” said Jasmine Kaur, who represented Punjab at the 69th School National Games in Jharkhand, adding that her dreams are bigger than difficulties.Gulshandeep Kaur, who represented the state in the 68th School National Games, comes from a family where her father drives an auto-rickshaw. The long hours of practice, coupled with the family’s financial limitations, have failed to stop her from cherishing her dreams.The school has more than 50 girls who have played in state championships, while six have represented at the national school games. Nearly 70 per cent of the players come from financially challenging backgrounds.Anjali, a Class IX student, has played in the state championship three times. Her father works as a vendor. For her, managing schoolwork along with hockey is a daily challenge, but she continues to report for practice before classes.Class X student Shivani, whose father works in a factory, has played in the 2023 state championship.Ashmita, a Class XII non-medical student, has managed to juggle between academics and sports. She scored 86 per cent in Class XI and has also represented the state. Even her father works in a factory.Kirandeep Kaur, a humanities student, has taken the same route. She played in the state championship and secured 95 per cent in Class XI. Her performance reflects the effort the girls put into balancing their books and hockey sticks.With coaches like MP Singh guiding them, the players are getting opportunities to compete at higher levels.Radha, another student, has represented Punjab at the 69th School National Games. The school has also seen players progress through district and state competitions.What makes the story stand out is not merely the number of players. It is the distance they have travelled from homes supported by pushcart vendors, factory workers, and auto-rickshaw drivers.At Mundian, the girls are proving that a difficult beginning need not decide how far a player can go.