The Hindu: Pick up hockey sticks, not guns, says Dilip Tirkey

By Prafulla Das

Tournament to be held in regions under Maoist influence

Member of Parliament Dilip Tirkey, a former captain of the Indian hockey team, is a busy man. He is working overtime to bring to reality his dream of creating a village hockey championship with teams from several districts in Odisha and neighbouring States of Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh.

“The event aims to promote hockey at the village level with a view to keep the tribal youths away from Maoist influence in the region,” said Mr. Tirkey, who hails from Sundargarh district. The region where the matches would be played over a period of four months from December to March is part of the belt with a strong Maoist presence.

“The region should develop as a cradle of hockey instead of a nursery for Maoists. The youth of the region should pick up hockey sticks instead of guns,” said Mr. Tirkey.

The proposed rural hockey championship is scheduled to be inaugurated in Rourkela in Odisha’s Sundargarh district on December 10. A total of 25,000 young hockey players representing over 1,500 teams from the region are expected to participate in this unique event called the Biju Patnaik Rural Hockey Championship.

Aiming for a record

Mr. Tirkey, who believes it will be the largest field hockey tournament in the world, is seeking an endorsement from the Guinness World Records team.

After the inaugural ceremony, the teams would disperse to play matches in their respective regions as per a timetable being prepared for the championship.

There is no age bar for participants. Mr. Tirkey said he hoped to attract youngsters who can dream big and achieve what they want.