New Delhi:  “My life started in darkness and has moved to light now,” is how hockey player Yuvraj Valmiki likes to describe his life so far.

The 22-year-old grew up in a shanty in Marine Lines area of Mumbai but his hockey prowess has seen him become one of the most accomplished forward in the country and has also brought laurels for him and his family.

It was precisely why league leaders Delhi Waveriders paid a price purse of $18,500, against his base price of $9250 in the auction for the inaugural Hero Hockey India league and Valmiki insists that the tournament will bring financial security to many players.

“When I started playing hockey, I never dreamt that I would benefit monetarily from it. But HIL has indeed uplifted the sport in this country. We are happy that HIL has come about now and this has truly changed our lives,” he said.

Apart from Valmiki, his brother Anup is also playing in the HIL for Dabur Mumbai Magicians and the former insists that they are hoping to buy a house in Mumbai for their parents from the earnings of this tournament.

“I hope to try and give a new life to our parents with the money that we are earning. It is their comfort that has become an absolute priority for us. We plan to buy a house in Mumbai that is big enough for all of us,” he added.

A house in Mumbai will be a dream-come-true for Valmiki, who had to depend on the generosity of one of his classmate to start playing hockey. With the family unable to afford a Rs 200 hockey stick, it was Valmiki’s sixth grade friend, Boon D’Souza who gifted him a stick to start playing the game. “It was Boon who got me my first stick, guard and shoes to play hockey. It was his generous contribution back then that made it possible for me to be here today.”

Speaking about the HIL and his performance in the tournament, Valmiki said he was overall happy with his show.

The India international said the players were also happy since people were coming to watch the matches, which is not the case in domestic tournaments and that is why he is so confident of HIL changing the face of Indian hockey.

“If HIL receives that same amount of support and success for the next 3-4 editions, then this league has the potential to be on par with the IPL (Indian Premier League cricket),” he added.

Most of his teammates would be hoping that his words come true.