When a girl from Simdega district of Jharkhand joined the Indian squad to end the country’s medal drought in women’s hockey in the Commonwealth Games, her family and neighbours struggled hard to catch her in action on television back home.

Sangita Kumari is one of the three girls from Jharkhand, besides Salima Tete — also from Simdega — and Nikki Pradhan from Khunti, who are part of the Indian squad that began its campaign in Birmingham, UK, by trouncing Ghana 5-0 on Friday evening.

But, none of the 17 families, including Sangita’s, of Nawatoli hamlet off Kargaguri village, about 35km from district headquarters, could see the girls in action on television though both Sangita and Salima scored a goal each that evening.

“This happened despite our Hockey Jharkhand president Bholanath Singh gifting them a TV set just before the games began as none of those families had one,” informed Manoj Konbegi, state hockey organisation’s vice-president who also heads the district unit.

“I had visited Sangita’s family during one of my tours last year and found they were very poor. So, I arranged a TV set for them when I heard they wouldn’t be able to witness the matches,” Singh said when contacted.

Sangita’s siblings also got the set, a branded 26-inch LED TV, installed at their mud house and all their neighbours gathered on time but they couldn’t see the match on Friday evening.

“Something went wrong and we couldn’t set it right. Then our village also suddenly plunged into darkness because of a power cut,” Sangita’s sister Sarbati said, adding they would get someone to fix the problem so that they could witness the match against Wales scheduled on Sunday late night.

“I also couldn’t witness the match as there was no power in my native village where I’m camping now for sowing paddy,” Konbegi said, adding power supply was often disrupted whenever there was a sign of a thunderstorm, which is a common phenomenon during this session.

Sarbati was not sure if they would need an antenna for boosting the TV signal, she further said, adding they were very keen to see their sister and her teammates play for the country.

“They must be keen on watching the matches as all the sisters played hockey for the district and Sangita made it to the national team by her perseverance, despite facing many odds,” Konbegi said.

“They are really very poor and Sangita’s parents found it hard to raise their six children, five daughters and a son, with the meagre income they have from their agriculture land,” Konbegi explained, adding the things had, however, started looking up as Sangita got a job with the railways last year and could now support her siblings continue studies and practice.

Sangita is now fighting along with her teammates to end the country’s 16-year medal drought in women’s hockey in the Commonwealth Games.

The Indian eves missed a medal since they won a gold in Manchester Commonwealth Games in 2002 and a silver in Melbourne in 2006.

They also missed a podium finish in the last edition of the games as they had lost to England in the play-off match for the bronze in Gold Coast in 2018.