Hockey players trained by ITBP set for national-level games

Indo-Tibetan Border Police trained a team of nine girls in hockey in a Naxalite stronghold in Chhattisgarh. Their training ground was a helipad - the only safe space available for practice.

Kondagaon: Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) head constable took a new role by training 9 girls in hockey in the deadly Naxalite areas. After almost 4 years, the team has been elevated to the national level.

After getting trained by ITBP, girls studying at the local Mardapal Kanya Ashram, now have been selected for the sub-junior and junior national women hockey trial camp for this year.

These girls were selected four years ago by the local ITBP Battalion- the 41st Battalion Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) which is deployed in the area to fight against the left-wing extremism."Hockey coach and head constable, Surya Smit of the Battalion coached the girls and trained them for national-level game. ITBP Battalion provided all possible basic requirements and equipment for the practice," ITBP official said.

ITBP arranged their practice on the local helipad which is the only available open space in the area. Utilising minimum resources and best possible training, these girls have become an icon of women empowerment in Bastar region at large. "Their competence in 2016 was very low. Three girls have been selected for national sub-junior level competition while six have been selected for junior-level trials which will be organized shortly for 20 days in Rajnandgaon, Chhattisgarh," ITBP official said.

Read: B.Tech girls create Smart-Tracker Uniform equipped with nano-GPS technology

Recognising their talent- the girls between the age of 14 to 17- Sevanti Poyam, Tanisha Nag, Sukmati Mandavi, Sukri Mandavi, Sumani Kashyap, Sulochana Netam, Savitri Netam, Sanjini Sodi, and Dhaneswari Korram have been issued with the special permanent identity cards by the Hockey India. More than 50 girls between 8 to 17 years have been trained by the ITBP in the region till now.

"The ITBP identified these girls and trained them. They hail from remote left-wing extremism hit areas, as many as 35 kilometres deep inside the jungles of Chhattisgarh and are first-generation hockey players in their families. The girls aspire to play international hockey," ITBP said in a press release.

A member of the hockey team said, "ITBP strived their maximum for us and now we want to play for the country at the national level and we hope that our sports minister Kiren Rijiju will provide us with better facilities in future. We need better playground and equipment to practice quality hockey training."

ITBP coach Surya Smit said that ITBP trained them from the beginning and they will provide maximum help and support in future also. He also added that the team can perform well and achieve greater milestones if they are given more exposure and better facilities by the authorities.

(ANI)