: Exclusive: Mumbais First Female Olympian Raised Money From a Dance To Create History #IndiaNEWS #Lede Mary D’souza Sequeira learnt to play sports by keenly observing her brothers and other boys

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Exclusive: Mumbais First Female Olympian Raised Money From a Dance To Create History #IndiaNEWS #Lede
Mary D’souza Sequeira learnt to play sports by keenly observing her brothers and other boys in Bandra, Mumbai. An Olympian and Asian Games winner, Mary had no coach or trainer to learn from initially but this did not stop her from scripting history as a runner and hockey player in India’s sports legacy.  
She belongs to the league of athletes who made it on their own and refused to succumb to any challenges, no matter how tough it got. Her journey is awe-inspiring, given that she grew up in a middle-class family with 12 siblings where pursuing a sports career was frowned upon, especially for girls. Her parents neither went to see her nor cheered her on when she competed in track and field.  
The lack of encouragement was also reflected in the government every time they struggled to support women athletes like Mary.  
Mary Dsouza Sequeira was part of Indias first female contingent
When she was selected as part of India’s first female contingent at the 1952 Olympics organised in Finland’s capital Helsinki, the government fell short of funds to send her in a chartered flight with West Bengal’s Nilima Ghosh. Not one to give up easily, she raised funds for the participation fees by organising a dance and whist competition with the help of her friends.  
Recalling her first time flying, she tells The Better India, “Flying was a novelty and it was quite thrilling. I was intrigued with the plane and was glad I landed in one piece. �
A recipient of the Dhyan Chand award, India’s highest award for lifetime achievement in sports and games, Mary also played badminton and table tennis for the Railways. She went on to work with Tata Group and later joined the Railways as Welfare Officer and retired as a Sports Officer.  
Mary Dsouza Sequeira is a recipient Dhyan Chand award
“I am competitive by nature and don’t give up. I learnt hard work and discipline from watching my parents and siblings. I was the only girl playing hockey with the boys and I had to be as good or better than them to earn my stripes to play. This helped me improve my game,� she says.
An Accidental Sport  
Mary studied in an all-girls St Josephs Convent School, which had no ground back then. For sports, they played games like a gunny sack, book balancing, frog race, etc. She was introduced to hockey by her brothers. Intrigued and excited, Mary soon learnt to play hockey at the Suburbanelles, a local hockey team with the help of Emile D’Souza and joined the neighbourhood boys on the municipal grounds
It was during one of those days when her cousin noticed her impeccable speed. He enrolled her in a local race and that’s how her journey began.

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