Beating adversity, Haryana girls rule on

Tribune News Service

Daman Singh

Chandigarh, June 12

Though captain Sonam dismisses the very notion of jitters before the Khelo India Youth Games hockey final, her coach Gurbaj Singh confirms that the memories of the pool game loss to Odisha had made a place in the minds of the players.

Many of the players come from a humble background. So, facilities like turfs and fulfilment of needs like good diet attract budding players to continue with the game Gurbaj Singh, Haryana coach

But Gurbaj’s pep talk and the raucous support from the stands at the Tau Devi Lal Stadium provided the leverage as they went on to claim gold with a 4-1 win over Odisha. “There was a tinge of nervousness as we had lost to them before but I told them to dig deep and give their all. We just couldn’t afford to miss gold, and that too at our home… No way!” Gurbaj says. “They play a seamless game, especially in the centre, so we suffocated them there and that is where half the battle was won.”

This was the Haryana girls’ fourth gold in Khelo India, after wins in Delhi, Goa and Guwahati in the earlier editions.

Fine record

Four Khelo India titles to go with this year’s junior National title is no mean feat and is a potent testament to the fact that the Haryana girls have been taking rapid strides in the game.

Shahbad Markanda is one town that has churned out numerous players for the national team. From Sandeep Kaur to Surinder Kaur to today’s poster girl Rani Rampal, the numbers continue to rise. The Tokyo Olympics team, which finished fourth, had nine players from Haryana.

Over 13 astroturfs have sprouted in Haryana’s 22 districts till date. Things like a nutritious diet, equipment and other needs are also attended to. Recently, a rehabilitation centre was also inaugurated. “They plan to set up three to four centres like this,” the coach reveals.

The progress can be attributed to the initiatives made by the state government to develop and popularise the game. “Many of the players come from a humble background. So, facilities like turfs and fulfilment of needs like good diet attract budding players to continue with the game,” the Shahbad-based Gurbaj shares.

Overcoming stereotypes

Sonam, whose father works as a labourer, is one such player. She describes how she had to overcome gender stereotyping and other hardships. “I was ridiculed at first by my family and society. As I began to taste success, my support system also grew stronger,” the captain says. “Coach sir took care of me, whatever I needed was provided. He has done a lot for us,” Sonam, who scored two goals in the final, adds. With seven goals, she was also Haryana’s top-scorer at the event.

Gurmail Kaur, luckily, was spared the society’s taunts as hockey runs in the family. “My aunts, Harjinder Kaur and Lakhwinder Kaur, are former India players. So, picking up this sport came naturally to me,” she says.

But shuttling 20km between Madipur village and Shahbad daily for training was a thorn in the flesh. “I and my siblings had to travel 20km daily for training. It began to affect my education,” the drag-flicker, who has been part of the Indian junior team’s core group for two years, shares.

Parneet Kaur, her partner in defence and in the India camp, explains how her father, who’s a farmhand, was overwhelmed with joy with the success of the team. “He had come to watch the match. Words can’t explain the twinkle in his eyes,” she says, adding: “I idolise Sandeep Singh and want to play for India one day and hope to make him prouder than ever.”