As one steps inside the Biju Patnaik hockey stadium here, one witnesses a sea of players assembling at the venue.
The playing area has both seniors and juniors occupying every bit of the artificial turf. What is unveiled to the world is a mammoth programme called the ‘Biju Patnaik rural hockey championship’, an initiative by Olympian Dilip Tirkey, now a Rajya Sabha MP.
The inauguration of the tournament on Saturday saw the Vice Prseident Hamid Ansari, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and a host of former and current players, including Ashok Kumar, Michael Kindo, A.B. Subbaiah , Ignace Tirkey, Birendra Lakra among others, wishing the event a huge success.
The Dilip Tirkey Sports Research and Development Foundation is organising one of the largest hockey tournaments in the world for the tribals of Odisha and Chhattisgarh.
The tournament comprises 1500 teams from 900 villages, which according to Dilip, is a Guinness record. The objective of the tournament is to bring about a sports culture in the Naxal-infested regions and ensure that the tribal youth “pick up hockey sticks and not guns.”
Bring back the passion
Speaking to newspersons, Dilip said he wants to bring back the same passion for hockey which was very high during his growing-up years. “Even now the interest is high, but not to the same extent when I was playing,” said Dilip, who hails from Sundargarh district, known for producing many players.
The tournament will be held in 32 venues with the final slated on March 5 here, the day Biju Patnaik was born.
“I understand there is a lot of potential to promote the sport [among rural boys and girls). I want to create awareness. Young players don’t practise and I have told them to practise at least three days a week,” said the 39-year-old.
Speaking at the inauguration, Ansari said, “I’ve never seen such a gathering of players of a single sport. This is remarkable. I am sure the Odisha Government initiative will not go in vain.”
Chief Minister Patnaik said that the tournament would be a big motivation to the tribals.
Terming it as “unimaginable,” former India goalkeeper Subbaiah said the tournament will encourage youngsters to take up the sport.
“There is a similar tournament in Coorg where 300 to 400 teams participate with nearly 30,000 people watching. I am sure this [initiative by Dilip] will broadbase the sport,” he said.
While stating that it is a laudable initiative, Olympian Ashok Kumar cautioned that the tournament shouldn’t turn into a political exercise. He said the best players should be chosen and groomed to face bigger challenges. “[Ideally] you should select 500 players, give them facilities. The idea should be for the betterment of the sport and not politics,” he said.
Dilip, a three-time Olympian and a former India captain, said he is aware of the huge task at hand and said he would do his best to groom young talent.
(Keerthivasan is in Rourkela at the invitation of the Dilip Tirkey Sports Research and Development Foundation)
