Arjuna award winner and former Olympian Michael Kindo came out openly
in support of Indian Captain Dilip Tirkey, whose integrity was
questioned by an Orissa Hockey Association official. Rourkela based
Michael Kindo says that the honour of hockey players in general and
those from tribal areas in particular are at stake. “The proposed rally
tomorrow is our way of showing our anger and our fight primarily is to
protect our prestige”, he said in an exclusive chat with s2h.
Explaining his perspective on the issue, the first tribal to get Arjuna
award till Dilip Tirkey emerged on the scene, Kindo said: “No player
enters the fied to get defeated. Once on the field players play for
winning. So also the Orissa Steelers team in the Premier Hockey League.
Only ignorant people like Pratap Satpati, who questioned Dilip
Tirkey’s integrity, can think on those lines. How can he state Dilip
wanted the team to lose, and conspired with another coach to prevent
this team from entering the finals. By questioning so, he has insulted
the whole playing community and in particular our tribal boys and girls
who form almost half of Indian hockey teams nowadays. We cannot allow
We can’t take this lightly, allow it go this. We are damn angry and we
want to show this to the world. That’s why we took this extra-ordinary
step of organizing the rally at my home town, Rourkela, Orissa’s real
hockey hub”.
He further said that thousands of tribals wanted to participate in the
rally on Wednesday, but my fear is our area being remote it will depend
on whether those will get transport to reach here.
or not. On asked what the rally is going to achieve, he felt that their
anger will be registered. “We seek public apology from the official,
and also his resignation”
Unable to name the organization that spearheads the rally, he simply
said: “it is an instant reaction, sports lovers and followers will be
the participants”. It is however gathered that a core group consisting
of local Member of Legislative Assembly Gregory Minz, Prof. Vijay Kumar
Topp of Gagan College, Peter Tirkey (junior world cup player), Isodore
Tirkey (Secretary of Jaipal Singh Memorial Hockey Tournament) will be
in the forefront. Around 70 players were present when the decision to
call for a rally was announced in a press conference on last Saturday
in Rourkela, where India’s one of the biggest steel plant is located.
“Satpati says in the paper he selected Dilip Tirkey for India. Is it
not an insult to Dilip. He got selected because of his talent, not
because of any individual”.
“For tribal citizen, it is a prestige issue”, Kindo signs off.