A birthday gift for hockey star Dilip

By Shyamhari Chakra

GUESS what could be the favourite holiday destination of hockey star Dilip Tirkey? Puri. And his favourite hockey star? Pargat Singh. For this former Indian hockey skipper, football also matters as much to him as hockey. His favourite film is Chak De India and he is a fan of Lata Mangeshkar, Shahrukh Khan and Madhuri Dixit.

We discovered such secrets from Dilip’s Diary recently that was disclosed through Chake De Dilip, an exclusive exhibition on the life and times of Tirkey that was hosted here last week (November 25 to 29) coinciding with the 32nd birthday celebrations of the star on November 25. The four-day exhibition, conceived, curated and hosted by Orissa’s sports journalist and commentator Sambit Mohapatra, was mounted at the Lalit Kala Akademi Gallery and inaugurated by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in presence of a special gathering of eminent sports personalities, athletes, sports administrators and promoters of the State.

The exhibition narrated a story – the story of the rise of Dilip Tirkey from a non-descript tribal village in Sundargarh district to the world record holder (he has played 412 matches). Mohapatra familiarised viewers with several facets of the world’s best known defender who is also best known for his humility – certainly his biography is aptly titled as The Humble Hero.

The rare photographs exhibited included Dilip as a hockey prodigy in school, his sharing of the dais with several celebrities across the globe, his food habits and moments with wife Meera. Also on display were the awards and trophies like the Arjuna Award, the hockey sticks, balls and the shoes he used on momentous occasions.

The most striking segment of the exhibition was the tribute of the artists and writers for the spirit of this star. All of them have saluted the spirit of this legendary sports star in their humble way. It was amazing to discover that Tirkey has immensely inspired poets, painters, sculptors and cartoonists. We came across poems on Dilip in Oriya, English and Hindi penned by a number of prominent and promising poets of Orissa. There were also photographs of the works of master sand sculptor Sudarsan Patnaik on Tirkey.

It took Mohapatra two years to plan and present the exhibition. “As a sports journalist, I have been closely watching Dilip’s rise as a star for years now. He has given Orissa’s sports scene a distinct dimension. He is our national treasure and his success and birthday deserve befitting celebrations as we do for Sachin Tendulkar. This realisation prompted me to host this event,” stated Mohapatra.

“It would be one of the many memorable moments of my life. I am touched by the affection showered on me by the people of my state today,” stated the soft-spoken and shy star as the Chief Minister invited him to cut the birthday cake.

Courtesy: New Indian Express