Olympic bronze medal-winning forward Abhishek took up hockey as an escape route from studies, and he has never regretted the decision as the sport has given him recognition, stardom and all that he aspired to be in life.

Though Abhishek managed to complete his graduation through correspondence, he always knew that sports would give him a purpose.

"I started hockey when I was 11 or 12 years old. There was no other option in Sonipat at that time. A friend used to travel a lot every month to play hockey," Abhishek, who was a vital part of India's Paris Olympics bronze medal-winning campaign told PTI in an interview.

"I never had the patience to sit and study and when I saw my friend hardly attending classes because of his hockey engagements, I thought I too could do the same if I started playing the sport." The 25-year-old, who was also a member of the Hangzhou Asian Games gold-winning side, is a big fan of Portuguese football great Cristiano Ronaldo and his work ethic.

"I am a big fan of Ronaldo. His off-field routine, his discipline, food habits... I watch his videos and try to inculcate them (habits) in my routine." Abhishek's ultimate goal, however, is to win an Olympic gold.

"My goal is to revive the golden era of Indian hockey. We have started the process of winning medals in the Olympics but the golden era is yet to be achieved. That's my target," he said.

Abhishek was the second-highest paid player in the revived Hockey India League auctions behind India captain Harmanpreet Singh (Rs 78 lakh), fetching Rs 72 lakh from Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers.

It will be his first HIL experience and expectedly he is excited about the tournament.

"It will be a different experience from international matches. HIL is also going to be a big thing for Indian hockey because we are going to get a lot of players from the league. The IPL has shown the way as it has become a supply line for Indian cricket. HIL is going to help the national team as well.

"It will make a lot of difference. There are some great Belgian and German players in out HIL team. Sharing the dressing room with them and getting insights during the HIL will be very important. We will get to learn the minutest details from them... how to prepare for a match, among other things." Being the second-highest paid player in HIL this season will bring added responsibility on Abhishek but he is in no mood to take any pressure.

"Responsibility will be there (but) I won't like to take any pressure. I will play my game. I cannot give my 100 per cent if I take pressure. I will just try to enjoy my game," he said.

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