Tokyo Indian Team: Odisha fans disappointed against inflated expectation
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By SATISH SHARMA
On 17th June Hockey India announced the 16 member women hockey to participate in Tokyo Olympic Games starting from 23rd July. The announcement has put the Odisha hockey fans at crossroads as team has included only a solitary player-Deep Grace Ekka- in the team against the larger but wise expectations. Keeping history and recent form of its players in mind, it was expected inclusion of three players from Odisha.
Odisha hockey followers are in predicament now whether to celebrate a mere single selection or dejection for two.
Odisha fans were confident of three players making the mark out of four in the camp. They had reasons to believe it. Firstly, they were confident of the class and abilities of the players in the camp. However, they entertained an illusion that since Odisha Government is the sponsor of Indian hockey teams the State players deserve automatic selection in the team!
Leading star player Lilima Minz was dropped for the all important Olympics
Five years back when state was not sponsor of national hockey that time four Odisha girls were included in Rio Olympic bound women team. One among them Sunita Lakra announced her retirement last year owing to leg injury. The other three Deep Grace Ekka, Namita Toppo and Lilima Minz remained integral part of the team which soared fans expectations. These three girls broke into the junior national team in 2011 and since then have been playing in the team .
The exclusion of two girls Namita and Lilima has come as a shocker for Odisha. State media is finding it difficult to digest the news. Some are saying what is the benefit of sponsoring Indian Hockey to Odisha.
Lilima Minz and Namita Toppo have encountered some injury problem since last year. That had affected their mobility and load taking capacity in the team. But without being dishearten both were determined to continue with the game. They made come back and hockey officials reposed their faith in both of them.
They were included in the camp hoping they would fully recover by the final selection time. Both’s exclusion is perhaps due to fitness issue. Olympic Games are not tournament where one can do experiment. Here every team put their best and supremely fit players.
Sponsoring a team does mean that sponsor’s would play a role in team’s selection. In Olympic games a sportsperson, individually and team games, represent their country and not the sponsor.
Here Odisha must ponder why only four or five players are continuously representing the the team for more than a decade. Why new fresh talents are not coming to the fore in the state challenging these players.
Selection of Deep Grace Ekka is the only consolation for Odisha fans
After Dilip Tirkey, Lazrus Barla, Ignace Tirkey, Prabodh Tirkey state has produced talents of their calibre. It is a sad commentary of state of affairs in the state. Sports hostels are not producing talents as they were in nineties and first decade of this century. State government will have to take a relook at the functioning of the sports hostels.
Organising big international sporting events does not give guarantee to produce top class players. Both are totally different things. The sooner one understands it is better for the State sports.
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