The OTHL team that played in the prestigious Women's League

We took part in the prestigious ASMITA Women's Hockey League

21/09/2024

Achieving Sports Milestones by Inspiring Women Through Action (ASMITA) is a new venture by the Government of India under Sports For Women (SFW) department. They organized the 4th ASMITA Junior Women's Hockey League 2024 recently. The much expected League used to be in Phases. This year Phase I is to be in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh and the next in Delhi .

One Thousand Hockey Legs took part in the Phase I held in the Madhya Pradesh Women's Hockey Academy, Gwalior, a historic city about 250 kms south of Delhi.

Players underwent hectic training prior to the tour

When the invitation to take part reahed us, we grabbed the opportunity. We have been practicing three days a week since three months. The girls were actually in need of such a high-voltge exposure.

We have recently started a Super 30 kind of program to polish our talents. We hired the services of Dronacharya Awardee Mr. Narinder Singh Saini. He was previously with Sports Authority of India. During his spells in the traibal heartland of Jharkhand, he has the credit of producing at least 40 international women's hockey players.

It was god-sent for the OTHL which was searching for such an achiever to produce our future achievers. He was sincerely training our girls and was glad to accompany the team to Gwalior. He has selected his 18-member team too. However, he wisely opined that our girls are underage for the competition.

Top teams in the country took part including two combined teams of Sports Authority of India, MPWHA, Naval Tata High Performance Centre, fomrer player Pritam Rani Siwach's Sports Foundation, Sports Authority of Gujarat etc.

Our players got a great chance to rub shoulders with cream of Indian Junior talent. This experience will go a long way in developing potential of our girls.

Moment before every match starting

The ASMITA league came out of blue. We were glad but were not having finances. We have to provide accomodation and boarding for the team for about 10 to 12 days besides train tickets. A lady coach, an assistant coach are also mandated to be presented, besides our Chief Coach Mr. Saini.

The tour would entail Rs.1.25 lacs. Thankfully, Mr. Kaviraj, who has been devoting his time and energy towards formulation and execution of Super 30 program came forward to underwrite the whold expenses, which he did in advance. What a gesture!

A hurdle appeared a week before the start of the League and while we were preparing hard: The Mid-Term examination, that too Board Exam. Very miraculously the first exam would start four days after the last day of ASMITA.

Our players are imbibed with the point that on such tours, they should also pack with their acamic books and exercise notes. They did this to our satisfaction.

Ms. Shweta and Mr Amit (our OTHL player who captain Delhi State team) accompanied the team.

Two of our selected players defender Mofita Khatun & star forward striker Laxmi Kumari could not make it, former could not produce requisite documents like Aadhar Card while the latter had to go to her home State for some immediate tasks. However, presence of Kajal, who is now with STC, Hyderabad & Neha Devi, STC, Hissar (Haryana), joined us. Further, Ritika, who was selected by Hockey India for the All India Inter-Zone Cup (held in Hazaribagh & Ranchi, August 2024) returned and had joined the team. Moslima Khatoon had to be absent as she was suffering from Typhoid. Deeksha of PGDAV filled in her slot.

The team

GITIKA

RASHMI

NASMINA TALUKDAR

NAINSI

KARISHMA

NEHA DEVI (DW)

PRIYANKA

SANJANA (GK)

PRACHI PANDEY

DEEKSHA

RITIKA