By Pitambar Naik

Sports occupy a very low-key position in India. Sports and athletics are crucial parameters of a country to focus on. It doesn’t just make us physically vigorous and energetic; rather it opens us a new door to the national and international arena. A sport can be our national glory and heritage; because it has that potential to make en route to trade, the economic and diplomatic breakthrough with our neighbours or other nations. In today’s world, sports have indeed been an important factor to gauge one’s prosperity and growth. Lately, apart from cricket, India has abysmally sabotaged sports, sports persons, infrastructure and everything pertaining to sports. It’s definitely not a good sign for us. There are individuals from a few states who can really outwit anyone in international athletics, but unfortunately, they have been alienated for decades.

We can discuss a bit about Jharkhand. Your state might be one of the prosperous in India. It might have many wonderful traits that the state like Jharkhand might not have.  Ok, it’s one of the poorest states in many facets; a state with high illiteracy as compared to others; people’s per capita income is so meager and dismal. And even these days the rate of migration from this state is skyrocketing. The youths of this state have the high propensity of joining to the Maoist. One of the most nefarious reasons behind Jharkhand’s absurdity must be the age-old perpetuation of racial discrimination and deep-rooted stereotype that our society has towards the tribal.

Despite its backwardness, it broke free the repressive hegemony and gave birth to some sports heroes of this century. The first might be Jaipal Singh Munda a legend in hockey who took the Indian hockey to Amsterdam to get a gold medal raising India’s pride high on the soil of the West.  Jaipal Singh Munda passed down an inheritance of remarkable sportiveness and later many international hockey players like Sylvanus Dungdung and Manohar Topno emerged from this cursed soil to prove this country that no treacherous attempt could sabotage the real talents. Both of these players shone in the Los Angeles Olympics and brought glory to the country.

The great momentum of hockey was groomed in this state; the state still plays a role to be the nurse of Indian hockey. Which is why the saga of the supremacy of this state in the field of hockey in general and in all sports, in particular, takes no pause. What impression are you under? What do you think of this state, its gullible and very unpretentious women, again? They might be gullible but their steel-like determination and iron-like muscles have elevated them to lead the country. Think of Samurai Tete the one who coached the Indian hockey team and Ashunta Lakra who led the Indian Hockey team in the recent time; they really are subliminal. The environment they were born in, their penury stricken life could not bar them to reach their global aspiration.

Jhanu Hansda and Purnima Hansda another two sportswomen of different species they have sports hemoglobin in their blood; they are inherently ravenous for sports. Their thirst for the field is unquenchable; this spirit has led this state to give birth to hundreds of sports men and women with indefatigable sportsmanship. You think about soccer you find marvelous player like Sanjay Balmuchu; think of archery and you find legendary figure like Deepika Kumary who wins sky-high fame and glory for the country; these athletes are with many firsts and many feats trekking the zenith of Mount Everest of credibility that outclasses all other states of India; in fact, it’s a mini Kenya emerges in India.

Kenya a Caribbean country, though very poor and backward, in recent times the country has produced such exceptionally brilliant sports persons who could break all unbreakable records set earlier and let the country stand as a giant of sports. This country lacked every basic amenity; it proffered the sports leads very substandard infrastructure and amenities as it is clutched by longstanding impoverishment, socio-economic and cultural perpetration ensued by colonialism. Sportsmen like Paul Tegat, Catherine Ndereda, Joyce Chepchum, Vivian Cheruyot and Steve Tikolo were so adamant to be legends of athletics that nothing could withhold their spirits. They suppressed the poverty their principal enemy and became indefatigable sports stars to prove the supremacy of Kenya in the international arena.

These deprived Adivasis of Jharkhand in the initial stage of their sports career played even without a pair of shoes and were in stark socio-economic impairment but their zeal and zest were such that everything that came in their way got subdued. Let India be motherly to nourish this state to see many more sports legends and a few more Bacchendri Pals to win Everest.

About the Author: Pitambar Naik is a widely published poet, and advertising copywriter. He writes poetry, nonfiction, and persuasive ad copy and based in Hyderabad. He can be contacted at bharatipitambar@gmail.com