Kamal Ghorui
Jharkhand women’s hockey team was handed a shocking defeat by Mizoram in the semifinals of the Khelo India Tribal Game currently underway in Raipur. However, overall, the athletes from the state have done reasonably well so far in the inaugural edition of the tournament.In athletics, in particular, they have been impressive, winning both the men’s and women’s 100m titles. In wrestling, too, they have bagged five medals, including four gold. However, it is their lone bronze in swimming that stands out, considering the hardships the swimmers have had to overcome to reach this stage.It was Priya Oraon who won the medal after finishing third in the 50m breaststroke event with an effort of 40.83 seconds. Aged 18, she began swimming only after being selected by Jharkhand State Sports Promotion Society (JSSPS) — a joint initiative of Jharkhand govt and Central Coalfields Limited (CCL) — to train at Khel Gaon when she was 12 years old.“It was the first time that I got to swim when I came down to Khel Gaon and I fell in love with it instantly. Nothing interests me more than swimming these days because I just feel like having a blast every time I am in the water,” said Oraon, after her performance at the International Swimming Pool last week.A resident of Chatra district, where there has been severe water crisis over the past few years, Oraon doesn’t get to swim for nearly five months every year because the heating system isn’t available and that is one area which coach Umesh Kumar Paswan wants to see develop in the coming days.
Jharkhand swimming team at Khelo India Tribal Games
“During those four to five months, they don’t get to swim but are given training in physical conditioning, which helps to some extent. However, if more medals are to be won, the players need to be able to swim throughout the year,” said Paswan, who has been training at JSSPS since 2018.Although Oraon was the only one who finished on the podium, Paswan believes the remaining seven players also can do well in the coming days, including Rajesh Munda and Maneshwar Bediya.“The duo swim in a small canal that comes out of Getalsud dam in Sikidri and goes towards Hundru falls just because they loved it. We just go there once a week, to give them technical training besides another 30 youngsters from the nearby villages,” the coach further said.He also goes to Melani village in Ramgarh district to train around 40 youngsters from the fishermen community at Patratu dam and has been impressed with their natural abilities.“They not only enjoy it but can also swim underwater for long durations. It is because they can hold their breath for long periods which is also essential for swimming,” added the coach.While they have already won medals at the state level, it remains to be seen whether they can replicate that success at the national stage. It will not be easy, but with proper support, there is hope for more such performances in the future.
