Summary
The Paddapukur-based club trains children from financially weak families for free
The club coaches more than 400 players aged 7 to 25
When the India men’s hockey team defeated Germany at the Tokyo Olympics semi-finals this August, SK Shabaaz cried tears of joy sitting at his Kidderpore home in Kolkata.
“I felt like I had won the medal! Everyone who thought playing hockey is not worth the trouble has been proved wrong,” said Shabaaz, grinning, having closely followed Team India’s hockey journey at the Tokyo Olympics. The 18-year-old started playing hockey six years ago under the mentorship of Kolkata Warriors Athletic Club.
Like Shabaaz, Rabiya Khatun was rooting for the India women’s hockey team that put up a tough fight against Great Britain but missed the bronze by a whisker in the Tokyo Olympics.
Neighbours sometimes make fun of her for playing a boys’ game but hockey, for Rabiya, has been life-changing. It has taught her to dream. A Class XII student of Belkulai CKAC Vidyapith (HS), Howrah, Rabiya took to hockey five years ago, thanks to the efforts of the Kolkata Warriors Athletic Club.
(From left) Sk Shabaaz receives an award, Imran Azad and Rabiya Khatun practise the game. Kolkata Warriors Athletic Club
The club that wields the hockey stick
The Kolkata Warriors Athletic Club has been giving hockey lessons to underprivileged children in Paddapukur, Kolkata, since 2012.
Mokhtar Alam, a national-level rugby player and current president of Kolkata Warriors Athletic Club, had started it by borrowing hockey sticks from the school where he worked as a full-time teacher.
Shabaaz is one of the many beneficiaries of the club’s initiative to introduce hockey among children and youth in Kolkata and its nearby areas. It has more than 400 players aged 7 to 25. They train under coach Alam and Imran Azad, a national-level hockey player and the general secretary of the club.
“After the pandemic, many children stopped coming to the practice sessions since transport was a problem. Many stay outside the city and can only commute when local trains are available,” said Azad, who kept sending video tutorials to the players to help them stay in touch with the game.
Training at the club is free for underprivileged children and the biggest reward for Azad and Alam is the passion for the game that they have been able to instil in the young players.
The Kolkata Warriors Athletic Club men’s hockey team after a match. Kolkata Warriors Athletic Club
How hockey is changing lives
Shabaaz, now a senior player at the club, passed out of Islamia High School in 2020 and started working at a T-shirt shop.
He practises from 5am to 9.30am at home and sometimes at the Paddapukur ground every morning before heading to the shop, where he has to work for eight to nine hours a day for Rs 1,200 a week. Shabaaz is a regular on the Kolkata Port Trust hockey team and takes leave from work on match days to focus on his game.
“My father works in a shoe factory. My family is supportive but they want me to try for a better job and earn more. My one true love is hockey,” Shabaaz said.
Rabiya, too, has fallen in love with the game and wants to play like Rani Rampal, the captain of the India women’s hockey team.
“Girls can do anything they want. Hockey is a sport close to my heart and I will not stop playing because some people think it’s not lady-like. As long as my family and teachers support me, I will continue to play,” Rabiya said.
Alam rued that, unlike Rabiya, girls often drop out of the game. “It may be because of the family or society or maybe there are some other reasons. A few who are dedicated go far and we help them in every way we can. Now we have about 50 girls of varied age groups playing on different teams,” he said.
The game plan
Motivating children to start playing hockey has been a tough job with most interested in more popular sports such as cricket or football. The club started providing nutritious food to the players to woo more youngsters and ensure their presence at the practice sessions. “Once they start playing hockey, they realise the thrill,” Alam said.
The club now hopes that India’s remarkable performance at the Tokyo Olympics will not only mark a comeback in international hockey but also inspire more children to take up the game. Their one wish: an AstroTurf for the young players.
“We have been asking the West Bengal government for an AstroTurf ground. We are still awaiting some good news,” Alam signed off.
Last updated on 27 Oct 2021
