Behind the medals, these two young athletes are balancing ambition with adolescence
We admire young athletes for their talent and promise. Less visible are the pressures they learn to shoulder early— fear, disappointment and scrutiny. When I speak to Amini Laa, 16, she is at a training camp in Pune, far from the Kamle district in Arunachal Pradesh where she grew up. Her thoughts keep returning home: her mother ironing her clothes and the small acts of care that seem ordinary until you have lived without them. Srishti Kiran joins from sunny Florida while Mumbai is being lashed by monsoon rain. The 13-year-old is brisk and direct. A loss is not devastation; it is, in her words, “a bad day at the office”. An opponent is not older, stronger or taller. They are simply a ball that must be played.
I came away with deep respect for both of them—not just for the dreams they’re chasing, but for the honesty with which they spoke about the mental strain behind them. Beyond the medals and milestones are two teenagers learning, much earlier than most, what ambition can demand.
Vogue India: You both started very young. Before the medals, rankings and pressure, what made you fall in love with your sport?
Amini Laa: I was seven when I first started taekwondo. I was very introverted, but now, I’ve met so many people and learnt something completely different. That energy made me happy.
Srishti Kiran: I started tennis when I was four and a half. At first, the joy was just in hitting the ball over the net. Around age five, I started playing tournaments and was doing well. From a young age, I enjoyed winning the most.
Vogue India: Talent can take over your calendar, body and, sometimes, your childhood. What are the parts of this life that people don’t see?
Amini Laa: They don’t see the sleep I sacrifice, the injuries, recovery and consistency it takes. Before stepping onto the mat, there’s always fear. No matter how good a player is, there’s anxiety, pressure and expectation.
Srishti Kiran: For me, the toughest part is making an unforced error because that is one thing I can and should control. Before the serve or changeover, I have to try my best to stay calm.
Vogue India: You’ve spent so much time away from what most teenagers would call an ordinary life. What do you miss most?
Amini Laa: I’ve missed many things in school: sports week, girls’ dance team, extracurricular activities. I miss interacting with friends, going to birthday parties and dancing at functions. After competitions, the first thing I remember is home-cooked food. When I get tired or sick, I miss my mother the most. I think about those little things.
Srishti Kiran: My dad and coaches have always prepared me with the idea that to achieve something great, sacrifices will have to be made. One such sacrifice is staying away from my mother and home.
Vogue India: What helps you remember why you started?
Srishti Kiran: My dad and my coaches keep reminding me of how important one’s mindset is. When I feel my stability missing on court, I remember the tips they have given me.
Amini Laa: My parents—they’re my biggest inspiration. They’ve sacrificed so much for me and have even taken loans to support me in this game at the cost of their own happiness.
By the end of our conversation, it’s clear that Amini Laa and Srishti Kiran are learning to manage a kind of pressure that would test many adults. Their dreams are not small and neither is the weight of carrying them so young. That is the part of the story trophies cannot tell.
