Bigan, Indian hockey’s iron lass
– Chaibasa goalie scripts World Cup bronze

A.S.R.P. MUKESH

Ranchi, Aug. 5: The iron nerves of Jharkhand goalie Bigan Soy (20) played a huge part in the nail-biting minutes of India’s historic bronze win against England at the Hockey Junior World Cup 2013 Women in Mönchengladbach, Germany, on Sunday.

Till the shootout, Bigan of Chaibasa’s Bandgaon village, had been warming the benches. She had not played for a minute of the tourney.

Till the 70 minutes of the regular match, India and England were tied 1-1. The match could have gone either way.

But as fate would have it, Bigan was called to play in place of India’s regular goalie Chanu Sanarik Ningombam during the final high-pressure penalty shootout.

By the end of the match, India had pinned down England 3-2, to grab bronze, the country’s first-ever medal at this event. Though the nation went into raptures over strikers Rani Rampal and Navneet Kaur, quiet Bigan, who stopped England’s score at two goals, was India’s citadel during the pressure-cooker minutes.

Bigan’s glory is also Jharkhand women hockey’s maiden tryst with global limelight. No other player from the state so far had managed to be part of the winning squad of the World Cup. “India began the game with Chanu but Bigan was rushed to take charge of the goalpost during tiebreaker. Team India coach (Neil Hawgood) thought it wise to throw in a surprise element to break the equaliser,” S.K. Mohanty, chief coach at SAI, said.

“She (Bigan), in her maiden outing, held her nerves till the last minute. I am so proud of her,” said an elated Savitry Purty, one of the chief selectors of the national team, a former player and general secretary of Hockey Jharkhand.

According to Purty, when the team was being picked, she insisted on having Jharkhand’s Bigan and Sushila Lakra.

“During selection, I don’t put the state ahead of the country. But these girls had potential,” she added.

Bigan and Sushila were standbys till the pulsating final moments when the former stepped in to make history.

“Sushila didn’t get the chance, but Bigan’s inclusion in the last moment made a difference. Plus, a nail-biting finish cultivates character in a player,” Purty said.

S.K. Verma, the in-charge of SAI (Ranchi centre), where Bigan has been training since 2009, said her feat was “remarkable, considering what was at stake”.

Born on May 17, 1993, to farmer Nara Soy homemaker Lipi Soy, Bigan, who is pursuing her intermediate studies, has played senior nationals this January as well as U-21 Asia Cup in June 21, both in New Delhi, and in both meets, she was adjudged the second best player. In 2011, she played a few U-18 Asia Cup matches in Thailand.

“Bigan is an equally talented soccer star, but it’s lucky for India that she chose hockey,” Verma grinned.

Apex body Hockey India has announced Rs 1 lakh for each team member. Back home, officials demanded felicitations for Bigan and Sushila from the state. Purty said at the level of the hockey outfit they were “planning a mega felicitation after August 10 when the girls return to India”.

Well begun, Bigan.