Tokyo 2020: Joy knows no bound in Jharkhand villages as Indian women’s hockey team storms into maiden semis

Simdega/Khunti/Ranchi (Jharkhand), Aug 2: Euphoria is writ large on the faces of people in villages of Jharkhand, as the women's hockey team - that includes two players from the state - made a historic advance in the Tokyo Olympics 2020.

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Braving incessant rainfall, villagers in Simdega and Khunti arranged generator sets and televisions to watch their daughters perform in the mega sporting event. The world no. 9 women's side from India produced a phenomenally gritty performance against three-time champions Australia on Monday to catapult to its maiden semifinals in the Olympics.

Salima Tete (19) who hails from Badkichapar village in Simdega and Nikki Pradhan (27) from Hesal village in Khunti are a part of the women's hockey team that made history in Tokyo earlier in the day.

At Tete's hut, which is made of mud, her parents Subani and Sulakshan could hardly hold back tears when the final whistle was blown, putting India a striking distance from Olympic gold. Her parents recollected how their daughter started playing hockey with hand-made bamboo sticks and balls on rough grounds in Barkichhapar, a small village about 30 km from the district headquarters.

One of Tete's four sisters, Mahima, has also been participating in state-level hockey competitions. Simdega district has earlier produced players like Sylvanus Dungdung and Michael Kindo who had represented India at the Munich Olympics.

President of Simdega Hockey Association, Manoj Konbegi, heaped praise on Tete, calling her a "brilliant hockey player". Scenes of jubilation were similar at Pradhan's village in Khunti, where people shouted 'Nikki Nikki' whenever she got the ball, and didn't move an inch till the final result of India 1 and Australia 0. Her father Soma told PTI that he is overjoyed at the team's success and cannot wait for India to bag gold.

Choked with emotion, Jeetan Devi, Pradhan's mother, said God had listened to her prayers. Pradhan, who had become the first female hockey player from her state to participate in the Olympic Games in the Rio edition, took to the sport at a tender age and fine-tuned her skills at Bariatu Girls' Hockey Centre in Ranchi, where former India hockey captain Asunta Lakra had also trained.

Hailing the Indian women's hockey team, Chief Minister Hemant Soren said: "The daughters of the country have created history by entering the semifinals for the first time in Olympics. Many congratulations to our daughters for the stellar performance."

Soren had last month announced a cash award for the Jharkhand players - Rs 2 crore for winning the gold medal, Rs 1 crore for the silver medal and Rs 75 lakh for bronze.