Yuvraj Walmiki

The 21-year-old lives in a 160 sq ft shanty his gardener-grandfather was allowed to build 45 years ago in the compound of an 11-storey commercial building in Mumbai's plush Marine Drive area. It was not eligible for either an electricity or a water connection. The Walmikis got electricity in their house on September 16, after Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport officials rushed with a form for power supply, waived mandatory installation charges and fitted an electric meter within 24 hours. "We are so used to the darkness that we will need some time to cope with the lights," says Walmiki's mother Meena, a homemaker. The family still uses public toilets 200 metres from their home.

The newfound fame is bringing many to Walmiki's doorstep. Only, he cannot offer anyone a chair since there's none. The hockey star meets visitors and talks to them in a corner outside his shanty. Officials of Yashwantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open University have offered him a sports degree. Shiv Sena workers have promised to shift him from Raheja College in suburban Bandra, where he is a final-year commerce student, to Hinduja College in nearby Charni Road. The Shiv Sena offered him an lcd tv and refrigerator and the Maharashtra government a house besides a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh.

Born to a driver Sunil, Walmiki studied under street lights. His parents borrowed money from relatives and sent him to the nearby Our Lady of Dolours School, where he was introduced to the game in Class VI by fellow student Boon D'Souza. "I fell in love with the stick when I picked it up for the first time," says Walmiki. In 2003, he started playing professional hockey with a local club, Bombay Republican. Within two years, he signed a contract with Bank of India and represented it in several tournaments. The contract earned him Rs 3,500 per month. Ace hockey player Dhanraj Pillay noticed him and got him a contract with Air India in 2007.

In 2010, the youngster was shortlisted for the senior national team from a list of 110 probables. Walmiki hasn't looked back since he became a fixture in the Indian side.

The determination and passion that saw him storm his way into the Indian side hasn't dimmed one bit with the newfound success. Every day, Walmiki leaves home at 6 a.m. for a three-hour practice session. "Everyone has some or the other difficulty in life. I've learnt how to live with them," he says.

"I do whatever Dhanrajji tells me to. Had it not been for him, I would not have seen this day," he says of his mentor and idol. Walmiki's next goal is a gold medal at the 2012 Olympics. Before that, a thanksgiving visit to Mumbai's Siddhivinayak temple beckons.

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