Nandita Deb is a 21-year-old girl from Cooch Behar who loves to play hockey. Her father is a farmer and finds it difficult to make ends meet, but that couldn’t curb Nandita’s passion for the game. Rather she dreams of putting an end to their tough life with her favourite stick.

Sunita Shaw is 20 and hockey is her first love. Sunita’s father is a day labourer who doesn’t even get work every day. Sunita dreams of donning India jersey and bagging a government job.

Nandita and Sunita were part of the winning team, The Rishra Club, in the senior category of a five-a-side age-group hockey tournament organised by Entally Hockey Academy recently. The duo played stellar roles in their team’s success. Nandita scored seven goals including two in the final and won the highest scorer award, while Sunita was adjudged the best player.

Both have played several tournaments at national level and won accolades. “The best thing about Nandita and Sunita is their mental strength. They are completely dedicated to the game and they have huge potential,” said Sumit Daw, coach and general secretary of Rishra Club. Nandita came to Rishra in 2014 and started training at the club to become a professional hockey player. She has represented Bengal in all age groups.

Like Nandita and Sunita, Bishnu Koley, Abhishek Shaw, Prerna Vishwakarma, Shaan Shaw, Shivnarayan Singh and Ankit Shaw also consider hockey as their lifeline. They hope to make a better tomorrow for themselves by excelling in their favourite game. Bishnu, Abhishek, Prerna, Shaan, Shivnarayan and Ankit train at Entally Hockey Academy and all of them impressed in different age categories of the state-level tournament.

Bishnu is 16 and his father is an assistant to a mason. The Class X student of Brahmananda Keshab Chandra High School has been playing hockey since the age of five and has already played two nationals in the under-14 category. The centre forward became the highest scorer at the Entally meet with 12 goals in the under-17 category. Shivnarayan, a Class X student of Rani Rasmoni High School, bagged the Most Promising Player award in that category. Son of a day labourer, Shivnarayan can play both as right half and left half.

Shaan scored 11 goals in the under-14 category of the event and the 13-year-old forward got the highest scorer award. “Hockey is my life and Entally Hockey Academy is my home. I can’t think anything else other than becoming a hockey player,” said the Class VII student of Royal Grammar School.

Subir Pan, the coach and secretary of Entally Hockey Academy feels Hockey Bengal needs to nurture these young talents to improve its position in national arena. “Bengal couldn’t even qualify for A Group in the nationals for the last few years. We are in a sorry state both in junior and senior nationals. It’s high time Hockey Bengal helps the academies financially to encourage these youngsters.”