Olympian Kindo on Dilip Issue: ‘We will fight for

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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.