Former Odisha hockey player languishes in poverty as country celebrates bronze win

Like most tribal children in Sundargarh district, Majhi took to hockey at the age of 11 when he joined the sports hostel at Panposh.

Published on: Aug 8, 2021, 24:38:09 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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The bronze-winning performance of the Indian men’s hockey team at the Tokyo Olympics has certainly rekindled popular interest in hockey, but a 26-year-old former full-back from Odisha who once represented the state in senior national men’s championship has been working as a migrant labourer to make ends meet.

Seven years later, Majhi’s world is far removed from the world of hockey as he migrated to Goa last year to work in fishing vessels for ₹6000 a month. (SOURCED.)

Playing for Gangpur-Odisha hockey team (one of the associate teams of Hockey India) in 2013 and 2014 senior men’s hockey championship, Santosh Majhi, a tribal from Lulkidihi village of Sundargarh district stood like a rock defending his team’s goals from the marauding forwards of the opponent teams. But 7 years later, Majhi’s world is far removed from the world of hockey as he migrated to Goa last year to work in fishing vessels for ₹6000 a month.

“I have no other alternative than to go out to work. I have no future left in hockey though I would have loved to play,” said Majhi from his home in Lulkidihi village that has produced at least two Olympians Deepgrace Ekka of the women’s hockey team and former Olympian Ignace Tirkey. With at least 7 international players, Lulkidihi is considered as the nursery of hockey in Odisha along with Saunamara village from where former captain of the Indian hockey team, Dilip Tirkey hails.

Like most tribal children in Sundargarh district, Majhi took to hockey at the age of 11 when he joined the sports hostel at Panposh. For his daily wage earner father, sports promised a getaway from the drudgeries of life. In the hostel he shone as a defender and played for the Hockey Gangpur team in 2013 and 2014. After leaving the sports hostel in 2015, he played for Paradip Port Trust in All India Major Ports Hockey Championships in 2016, 2017 and 2018, but could not get a job there.

Majhi said in 2016, he had tried for a job in the Indian Army through the sports quota, but was disqualified during the medical test over a varicose veins issue. His problems have also been compounded as he could not complete his higher secondary exam in 2016 after suffering a fracture in his hand.

Arun Kumar Sahu, a social activist of the area, said it is disturbing to see players like Majhi struggle for a living. “While the state government and the Centre are spending crores for hockey, it would be good to rehabilitate players like him,” said Sahu.

Odisha sports secretary Vineel Krishna said though Majhi represented Gangpur Odisha in senior nationals, he did not secure any position. “Though the state government has a policy of giving government jobs to all medallists, He is not eligible for a job as per the notification of the home department,” he said.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

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