Recently, a breeze of women hockey swayed the shores of Kolkata. A Six-a-Side tournament was organized by the women enthusiasts, which had the support of Kolkata Police and Bharani, a NGO headed by Bharti Divgikar.

The first match was played between the seasoned Bengal team with the sprightly but inexperienced Assam. Bengal won 6-1. In the next match the Kolkata team could not realize what hit them and the scoreline at the final whistle read 14-0 for UP. The well built UP girls played scintillating hockey. In the third match, Bhilai Steel Plant routed Assam 23-2. The experienced Bhilai girls led by the veteran Rajni Sanger simply proved too much for their rivals.

On second day, the Orissa girls from Rourkela beat Kolkata 6-3 and the Bhilai Steel Plant beat Bengal 6-1. The third match was an exhibition match between schoolgirls of Durgapur and the Childrens’ Welfare Home, Elliot Road, Kolkata. It produced a surprising display of clean and skilful hockey from both sides, ending in 2-2 draw.

On the 27th, the final day, those present included the great Olympian Leslie Claudius and Bir Bahadur Chhetri and former Bengal stalwarts like Mushahid Hussain, Peter Hooper and Sonia John, who represented Bengal half a century ago.

The first semifinal was between Orissa and Bhilai Steel Plant. Rasjni Sanger, Roshni Ashok Upale and Afsana Khan tore the Orissa defence apart to shreds (9-0). The skilled Orissa girls looked listless and tired. In the second semifinal Bengal went into the attack ab initio and scored through experienced Pupen Cecilia Kujur. UP managed to find the equalizer in the 8th minute of the second half through Priyanka Singh. By then the Bengal veterans were tiring and there was nothing to stop UP from scoring 6 more goals. Priyanka Singh scored a hat-trick. Puja Singh scored a brace and Priti Dubey and Garima Singh scored apiece.

An exhibition match between the Howrah Hockey Training center coached by the NIS coach Dipendu Nag and the Childrens’ Welfare Home (coach Inderjit Singh) followed. The latter won (9-0). This was followed by a yoga demonstration by the children of the Children Welfare Home.

The final UP Vs Bhilai Steel Plant. Both teams displayed classic Indian attacking hockey. Garima Singh put UP into the lead (8th min) adding another three minutes later. Priyanka Singh scored a brace in successive minutes. SK Shanaz scored for Bhilai Steel Plant (4-1). Just before half time Garima Singh missed a penalty stroke. Garima Singh comleted her hat-trick in the second half (5-1). UP emerged as the team champions. Garima Singh won the best player award as well as the top scorer trophy.

The opening ceremony on 25th March, saw the graceful presence of Olympian Gurbux Singh, S Subramaniam Commissioner of Customs, Jose Ramirez Baretto, the Brazilian striker for Mohun Bagan, and Bernard A Operanozie, former Nigerian footballer for Mohun Bagan.

Those behind the organization of the event include Paramjit(Rani) Kaur Bhattacharya, Minoti (Panchu) Ray, Shanti Mallick (also a legendary footballer and an Arjuna Award winner in 1983) Sikha Sen, Sharon Goodsall, June Jackson, Anna Britto, and Sadhana Chakraborty and others.

Earlier, in October 2011, the same Association had organized a 5-a-side indoor hockey tournament at the Kshudiram Anushilan Kendra, Kolkata.

Profiles of some key players:

Chandra Lekha Chanu, 22, is from Halaikandi in Assam. She coaches hockey to kids She has completed the twelfth standard and coaches hockey to kids. Coached and supported by Mr Bidyaban Singh, a police employee from Halaikandi in Assam. She is looking for a job and wants to continue playing hockey in the near future. Plays as center forward.

Pooja Singh, 15, is a student of Lodi Singh Dwarika Singh Hockey Academy. She practices almost 7 hours a day. Pramila Yadav, former Power Lifting world championship Bronze medallist is her physical trainer and coach. The midfielder’s father is an agricultural worker. She has played School Nationals twice, besides Junior Nationals once. She is a Indian team prospect.

Priya Dubey, 15, is a student of the Lodi Singh Dwarika Singh, the UP goalkeeper. She has tight practice sessions similar to Pooja Singh. Playing hockey for the last three years, she has represented UP in the Schools Nationals twice, Jr. Nationals once. She aims to be a professional athlete and also Indian goalie.

Roshini Ashok Upale, 23, has studied up to the IX Standard, a SAIL stipend receipient. The inside right has played for Chattisgarh in the Senior Nationals and captained the Nagpur team once. She has also represented Chhatisgarh in the Nainital and Calicut in 2007. Coached by Sudarshan Singh, she is on the lookout for employment, preferably in the SAIL.

Rajni Sanger, 26, is a revelation. She impresses with her all round game. It’s a treat to watch her building up the counterattack. Also a perfect dribbler, showed acumen in the ball distribution. She is doing PG course in Kalyan College, Bhilai, playing for the SAIL for the last three years. She played for Punjab in the senior nationals and was a runner up. She was often in the national camp. One wonders whether the reason for her not making the national squad was really hockey. She’s been a medallist in the Ludhiana National Games, played in the Quartefinals in Hyderabad, and played in the 2011 Jharkhand National Games. She’s played 5 a side indoor hockey and has thrice led the Bhilai Steel Plant to the national championship. She’s desperately looking for a govt job in the SAIL, Railways, etc.

Rama Shaw, 23 years, Graduate (Vivekananda Women’ s College, Behala). Coached by Sanjay Cahkraborty, represented Bengal thrice in Punjab, twice in Haryana, once each Himachal Pradesh Jammu and Madhya Pradesh, and once in the Senior National tournament in Haryana in 2011. She captained Bengal , was the livewire in the attack.

Pupen Cecilia Kujur, 23 years, is a product of the Dhyan Chand Hockey training center in Howrah where she is coached by Dipendu Nag, a NIS coach. She picked up hockey when she was eleven. Played for Bengal in the Chennai Womens’ Hockey Festival in 2009 and the Haryana senior Nationals this year. She lost her father a few years ago and she has a sister who is younger and two brothers who are older than her. She played in the left out position in the tournament.

Minu Khatoon, 19 years old and playing for the last 7 years is also a product of the Dhyan Chand Hockey Training Centre in Howrah and is coached by Dipendu Nag. She has played in the all the national tournaments for Bengal like her senior teammates Pupen Cecilia Kujur and Rama Shaw. She will be sitting her XI th standard examinations shortly.

Sonam Purty, 16, hails from Rourkela, passed Class XII and has been playing hockey for the last 2 years. Her coach is her mother Mary Minati Purty, herself a national level player. She has played in Pune Sub-Junior Nationals, Haryana Sr. Nationals, 6-a-side hockey in Bengal besides many others. She wants to study further and is seeking a Govt Job.

Pauline Barua, 15, is a matriculate, hails from Rourkela. She has been playing hockey for the last three years, coached by Sylvester Toppo. She has played for Orissa in the Chennai Womens’ Hockey festival, 5-a-side tournament in Nainital, and Junior Nationals in Poona. She wants to pursue Computer Science.

Top: The organizer Mrs Paramjit Kaur Bhattacharya flanked on the left by the Mohun Bagan footballer from Brazil Jose Ramirez Baretto on the left and Bernard A Opernozoi former Mohun Bagan defender, now coach on the right.

Bottom: The legendary Leslie Claudius handing over the Championship trophy to the UP girls while B T Shankar, the SAI coach of Kolkata, looks on.