Hockey is ingrained in our culture: Bijay Lakra, Coach Birsa Munda

On the day of the final of the Nehru Junior Hockey Cup at the National Stadium, if one looked at bodies and tried guessing results, there were no two questions as to who were the favourites for the Trophy. On the one side were the boys from Jalandhar, looking bigger in built and confident of striking big. On the other side were a bunch of boys from Birsa Munda Vidyapeeth from Panposh, a small town near Rourkela in Odisha, with shapes and sizes nowhere closer to the rival in the competition at hand.

For those who thought Punjab and the players from that part of the country still rule the roost in the National game and looked towards their boys as favourites had forgotten history. Birsa Munda Vidyapeeth has always been favourites whenever they have turned up to play in the tournament. In the end what transpired was just as the coach of Birsa Munda, Bijay Lakra, had planned. His team beat the rivals comprehensively, though the scoreboard read 2:1, it is for sure the people, who saw the game Live, knew that the Punjab outfit was outplayed.

“See we have always been favourites whenever we have come here. Other teams are scared of playing us and are under tremendous pressure before the game. There is a lot of psychological pressure on other teams when they hear of our school as their competition,” said Bijay Lakra after the game.

On the size difference of his boy’s vis-à-vis some of the competition especially teams from Punjab and Haryana, the coach scoffs and says that there is no question of any intimidation.

“There is no question of intimidation. They might be bigger in size but in skills we have no competition. I advice my boys to play patiently and that also helps, because many teams employ rough skills which give us an advantage as while playing rough, they give us a lot of free hits. My boys are here to play skillful hockey so there is no point in thinking of the size factor,” said the coach.
On what makes stalwarts come out from that part of the country again and again, Lakra says that Hockey is ingrained in the culture of Odisha and kids start playing even before they understand the game.

“Hockey is a part of our culture, the rich Oriya culture. The kids there pick sticks even before they start understanding the game in totality. They have seen many good players come from the hostel and want to replicate those success stories.”

“I can say that Hockey is also one way to elevate in society in our part. A lot of kids who play get jobs in the Government sector so the parents also promote the game and are not against their child playing the game. Another reason is also that the only recreation game in that part of the country is Hockey so people do get attracted,” said the coach who has this season led both the sub-junior and the junior team to wins in their respective leagues.

But how one learns the modern technique in those hinterlands is a major question that may trouble anyone. Not for Lakra. The man says that there are three coaches there and with the help of the Government, the hostel has three astro turfs for practice and all this makes it a really congenial atmosphere to learn and play hockey.
By the time we finish talking, the boys from East pick up their coach and start rejoicing with the trophy. It’s good to see young boys of that age look happy doing something in a sport which is not closer to the 22-yard pitch sport, the game of cricket though in any case is a distant second in popularity there.

Seeing these kids, one can safely assume that the production line of Odisha is fit to produce more champions like the Tirkey’s and the Kindo’s. The need of the hour is to feed them all assistance which is needed and is possible. The problem though would be that in a country whose national game’s top administration is in shambles, who if any will come forward to take care of the nursery.