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Other movements
So can the story of the girls spawn similar movements? In and around the area, similar developments have taken place. In Koraput, Orissa, another tribal dominated area, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Sunabeda, has established a full-fledged sports training centre recently with the technical support from Sports Authority of India (SAI). At present the academy accommodates about 40 trainees. HAL is also planning two football fields in the vicinity.
The sports academy is being run to identify and nurture tribal and local sports talent in archery and football. The facilities provided include free of cost accommodation, boarding, medical care, sports kits and equipments, study material and gymnasium, HAL sources said.
The academy building, hostel and facilities are totally funded by HAL and trainees are picked up in the age group of 13-15.
Back in 2011, a National Sports Academy (NSA) for boys and girls was set up in Imphal, Manipur replete with hostels, sporting facilities and an indoor hall at Khuman Lampak sports complex. Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s proposed sports academy in Ranchi is also set to see the light of day after clearing many a bureaucratic hurdle.
An achievement that deserves praise, not glamour
Last week, we carried the story of a similar ilk where football helped Afghan teenager Shamila Kohestani to bigger and better things in life. This week, we have a fine example right here at home of how sport can help break barriers and provide empowerment to women even in the most backward of regions.
What these girls have achieved is something truly remarkable. As a nation, in light of such situations, we are quick to jump in, offer our two cents in the form of unabated praise, basking in the glory of hindsight. We elevate them to super-stardom and make an equally quick exit and the event is soon forgotten.
We should not be making celebrities out of these girls, nor making glamorously glorified movies that seldom reflect reality. We can talk about the treatment meted out to them by officials back home and bring about outrage. Outrage is something we’re very good at; but then it wouldn’t serve any real constructive purpose. It does serve to sell copies for many a newspaper who will repeatedly stress on the abuse part instead of dedicating column space to the project at work.
We expend a lot of time, energy and money on over-the-top praise or outrage. Such digressions routed correctly could help us spawn many more Yuwa’s.
Yuwa has given these girls the license to dream.
