By Avishek Roy
New Delhi, July 6 (IANS) They struggle to make ends meet but dream of donning the national colours and playing hockey. For the girls in Haryana’s Shahbad town, the sport is a key to social security and a comfortable lifestyle.

The town in the historical Kurekshetra district, which is barely a four-hour drive from the national capital, is a budding nursery for women’s hockey and has produced a steady stream of players in the past decade or so. Around 25 internationals have made their mark in the national team so far and the list is even bigger in domestic competitions.

As many as five girls from Shahbad were part of the victorious Indian team that won the Champions Challenge II at Kazan, Russia, last week. Skipper Surinder Kaur, who was adjudged the best player in the tournament, top-scorer Rani Rampal, forward Ritu Rani, Jasdip Kaur and Joydeep Kaur, all hail from Shahbad.

The girls in Shahbad take to hockey at a young age. And while they sweat on the field, their families wait in hope that their daughters will make it to the national team or land a job which will change their life forever.

“The majority of girls are from families that fight for their daily existence. They look up to hockey as the sport that will give them a respectable life,” coach G.S Bhangu, a Dronacharya awardee who trained many junior players across the country, told IANS on phone from Shahbad.

“We sell dreams to them. We tell them that if they achieve success in hockey, they can get a job and cash prizes from the state government and it can change their life completely. We give the example of girls who went abroad to play international tournaments.

“This motivates them to give their best,” says Bhangu, who was the chief coach of the Indian women’s hockey team that won the Commonwealth Games gold in 2002.

“Railways has been a major relief. They recognise the players’ talent and readily give them jobs. They get paid around Rs.10,000 to 15,000 which is good money for them. Besides, they are free to play. It gives them the social security.”

It has been no less than a fairytale journey for Surinder, a farmer’s daughter who went on to become the captain of the national team. A prolific scorer, Surinder’s success story has inspired many in Shahbad to take up hockey.

“When I started playing 15 years back, I only hoped to make it big some day. It is because of the help and effort of my coach Baldev Singh and others that I have been able to achieve so much.”

Surinder first played for the national team in 1998. Her job in the Railways improved the financial condition of her family, which now owns a dairy farm.

There are now around 80 girls who train at the Government Senior Secondary School, Shahbad, where the state government has laid an astro-turf.

“The hockey culture has been ingrained in this town for a long time. Nothing has happened overnight,” says Manmohan Singh, a businessman who has helped the sport grow in the town.

“We are basically hockey lovers and we pooled in our resources to do everything possible for the players. It is after years of hard work of many hockey enthusiasts that the players are slowly getting the recognition they deserve. We feel proud when we see them play for the country.”

After their performance in Kazan, the Haryana government has awarded seven girls from the state Rs.1 lakh each.

“The state government has also been active in giving cash awards and gifts,” Surinder said. “Seeing our efforts being recognised, the young girls in the academy are also inspired to do well.”

(Avishek Roy can be contacted at avishek.r@ians.in)