Bilaspur. This time Chhattisgarh has registered a stellar presence among the more than 100 talented players selected from across the country for the Junior Hockey India team. 10 players from the state have got a place in the Team India Assessment Camp, which includes 9 women players. The special thing is that three players have been selected from Bahtarai Excellence Center of Bilaspur, which is a matter of honor for the district. On the basis of their performance in this national level camp to be held in Bengaluru from 12th to 19th December, players will get a chance in the core team of India, due to which there is special enthusiasm among all the players.
National Camp in Bengaluru
Team India Assessment Camp will be organized in Bengaluru from 12 to 19 December. Here the skills, fitness and performance of the selected players will be tested. The best performing players will be included in the core team of Junior India Team. This is a golden opportunity for the players, which can open the doors for them to play at the international level.
6 players will participate for the first time
Sports officer Sushil Amlesh told Local 18 that out of the 10 selected players, 6 players will participate in Team India’s assessment camp for the first time. These include Damini Khusro, Madhu Sidar and Alfaz from Bahtarai Centre. Whereas Geeta, Mamteshwari, Anisha and Aanchal are taking training in different centers of SAI. The quality of sports facilities in the state can be gauged from the increasing number of players.
Hockey, athletics and archery are conducted under Khelo India Scheme at Bahtarai Excellence Centre. There has been remarkable progress in hockey in the last three years. Geeta Yadav and Mamteshwari Lahare have brought glory to the state by representing India in foreign countries. The success continues in athletics also. Amit Kumar Sahu has been selected for the Under-20 World Athletics Championship and will travel to America next year. At the same time, due to the absence of a head coach in Archery for one and a half years, the performance of the players is weak, due to which the players are facing disappointment.
Four years of hard work got rewarded
Madhu Sidar, who hails from Jashpur district, plays as a striker forward. He said, ‘It has been four years since I have been playing hockey. We get excellent training at Bahtarai Centre. It is a matter of pride for me to be selected in the India Team Assessment Camp. The family is also very happy. Now our hard work has increased further. I hope that I will get a chance to play in the Indian team in the coming time.
Got a big opportunity after training
Damini Khusro has been playing in the filter position at Bahtarai Center for the last four years. He said, ‘We as a team of 18 players had gone to play the Nationals, out of which three players have been selected for the assessment camp. This is a matter of pride for us. I am working harder on my position. The coaches are giving us good training. I am confident that I will get an opportunity to play for Team India in the coming days.
