: Played Barefoot With Sticks As A Kid, I’ve Now Coached 35+ National Hockey Champs #IndiaNEWS #Hockey Karuna Purty from Khunti district in Jharkhand was only around 11 years old when first saw girls

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Played Barefoot With Sticks As A Kid, I’ve Now Coached 35+ National Hockey Champs #IndiaNEWS #Hockey
Karuna Purty from Khunti district in Jharkhand was only around 11 years old when first saw girls playing hockey in her village, Bariatu. Back then, all she could do was maintain distance and watch from afar as the children, no older than she was at the time, played this fascinating game.
“I found it interesting to see how a ball is controlled and carried across the ground with a stick to score points,�? she recalls.
Eventually, she was able to try her hands at the sport herself, while in school. “We had a dedicated class for games, so I started playing hockey. There was no one to teach as we had no coach. The activity was more for leisure,�? she says.
“Bas ball ko dandi se bhagana, aur agar goal post main chala jaye toh point milta hain. Itna hi pata tha game ke baarein mein. (All I knew about the game was to push the ball with the stick, and that if it went through the goal post, I’d earn points,�? she tells The Better India.
Karuna playing hockey strokes in a training session.
Needless to say, Karuna, now in her forties, is more than well-accustomed with the sport, having attained much success as a national-level player. Today, she trains tribal girls from her village in the sport, and many have gone on to become national and international players themselves.
Rookie to professional
Her own journey with the sport, however, did not start off smoothly. Not all members of her family were encouraging. “My grandmother was against me playing the sport. ‘How will it benefit you?’ she always asked,�? Karuna says.
But her love for hockey was such that she’d find any and every excuse to play the sport. “We could not afford a kit or even a hockey stick. I used to make sticks of broken branches of trees and bamboo, and played the game with other friends,�? she says.
Before leaving home, she’d give an excuse of washing utensils or heading out to collect water from the well nearby. “I’d take clothes along, or a pot to fill water in. I’d play with boys and girls at the nearby ground until dusk, and return home after completing the chores. But my mischief did not go unnoticed, and I received plenty of scoldings for my behaviour. It was all worth it though,�? she says.
Karuna says her elder sister played a crucial role in making her a national player. Observing the former’s passion and command over the game, her sister learned about a hockey selection tournament and took her along. “I was selected at the age of 12, and coached first under Rajpal Singh Sidhu, and later with Narendra Singh Saini. They played a crucial role in teaching me the technicalities of the sport and preparing me for matches,�? she says.

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