With the All India Civil Services Hockey Tournament 2021 set to start from September 23 in Kurukshetra, Haryana, the women’s hockey team from Madhya Pradesh is gearing up for strong performances to win the trophy. The tournament started in 1964 and is held every year, but for the first time in its 57 year history, women are taking part in it.
HOW’S THE JOSH?
The 17 members of the MP team fall in the age bracket of 49 -61. They were selected after a trial round at Bhopal’s Aishbagh Stadium on September 14. In conversation with Indian Masterminds, Mr. Sameer Dad, the head coach of the state men’s hockey team, said, “In my entire career, I had not seen middle-aged players performing so enthusiastically on the field. They were all super excited and gave their best. The ‘josh’ was so high among them!”
A PROGRESSIVE DECISION
It was after the Indian women’s hockey team’s splendid performance in the Tokyo Olympics that a combined committee of Center and state representatives took the decision to allow women teams to participate in the civil services tournament.
BACK TO ACTION
It’s like a new beginning for all of them. After all, they are going to represent their home state in a professional tournament! “Our team used to be the best hockey team in Bhopal,” reminisced the 59-year-old team captain of the team, Preeti Naidu. In an interaction with Indian Masterminds, she informed that all team members are from sports backgrounds and had been selected for their respective jobs on the sports quota. Few amongst them had attended national hockey camps in the past. “It’s a great feeling to hold a hockey stick once again and represent our state at a national level tournament. We are all well prepared and will surely clinch a medal for our state,” she added.
55-year-old Bilquis Jahan said that they were “inspired by the fabulous performance of the women’s hockey team in the Olympics, which made them believe that they, too, can script history.”
WINNERS ALREADY!
The entire team attended a 7-days training camp in Bhopal organized by the state government before leaving for Kurukshetra for this tournament. Forty teams are competing in the men category while 9 teams are in the women category. The participants are from both central and state civil services. The MP woman is led by captain Preeti Naidu and the senior-most member is Lucy Alfonso who is 61 years old, and the youngest is Renuka Nigam, who is 49 years old.
Age is surely just a number for these fit-after-fifty women who are all geared up to give their vigorous best on the field and win. Whether they clinch medals or not, they are all winners, already. Fitness role models for all!
