CM promises job to Sushila Chanu, lone Manipur player in women’s hockey team

Susila Chanu Pukhrambam told Manipur CM N Biren Singh that she desires to develop both men’s and women’s hockey in Manipur.

Even though the Indian women’s hockey team lost to Great Britain 3-4 in the match for the Bronze Medal in Tokyo Olympics, Sushila Chanu Pukhrambam, one of the midfielders in the team, who hails from Manipur, will be given a suitable government job and cash award, the chief minister said.

29 year old Sushila Chanu is a midfielder in Indian women’s hockey team and was captain of the team that played it the previous Olympics. (Courtesy- Twitter)

Manipur chief minister Biren Singh assured Chanu during a video call conversation shared on his social media account on Friday, and said, “Spoke to Sushila Chanu right after I landed in Imphal. We may have narrowly missed the bronze medal today but the team’s, as well as Sushila’s performance in Olympics Women’s Hockey has been exemplary.”

In the video call chat, Biren Singh, a footballer turned politician also informed Sushila that a suitable post will be created in the Youth Affairs & Sports department for her besides a cash reward of ₹25 lakh, as announced earlier.

Responding to a suggestion by Sushila, former captain of the Indian women’s hockey team, for further development of hockey in Manipur, Biren said, “We’re also planning to set up astroturf pitches for hockey at all district headquarters of the state.”

Stating that the Indian men’s team’s victory in the bronze medal match and the women’s team entering the semi finals of the Olympics were remarkable, he also asked Sushila Chanu, the Indian team’s backbone in the midfield, to convey his congratulations to the rest of the team for their splendid performances, saying, “I appreciate the team, really proud of you, you’ve made the nation proud.”

When asked about her feelings, 29 years old Sushila, who had led the national team in the Rio Olympics in 2016, said, “We have lots of players in Manipur including Olympians. Since hockey has become a popular game, I wish to develop both men’s and women’s hockey in our state.”

Of the 19 Olympians the state has produced since the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984, seven are from hockey alone.