BHOPAL: “Yeh ladkiya hee ek din Olympic mein itihas banayegee” (One day these girls will script history in Olympics). The words that were stated 12 years ago by a coach proved correct in Tokyo Olympics. Chief coach, MP Women hockey Academy, Paramjeet Singh who had trained Indian women hockey players Sushila Chanu, Reena Khokkar and Monika for many years will see his girls playing semi finals on Wednesday for the country for the first time in the history of Olympics.
India will play against Argentina in the semi-finals of Tokyo Olympics. Coach Paramjeet has been associated with the MP women’s hockey academy situated at Gwalior since 2006. Recalling the day when these girls were selected for the academy, Paramjeet said, “Sushila hails from Manipur while Reena belongs to Punjab and Monika from Haryana. In 2006, the hockey academy was launched which was a vision of sports minister Yashodhara Raje Scindia. She asked me to produce world class talent.” He added, “I spoke to several states to send their kids for the academy. Sushila was only 12- year-old when she joined the academy in 2006. Two other girls from Manipur also joined who later played for the India team. Sushila left the academy in 2012 when she became a national player. Reena joined the academy in 2009 and spent 9 years in the academy, while Monika came for a year in 2010.” Recalling the time spent with the players at the academy, coach Paramjeet went through several times where he was told that girls won’t do much in hockey. “Whenever I faced such sentences my only reply for them was that these girls will write history in the Olympics. Today, these girls have proved my words correct,” said coach Paramjeet.
About the players, Paramjeet said, “Sushila (midfielder) and Reena (defender) have been outstanding players. My stint with Monika (midfielder) was only a year but she also has the best hockey skills. These 3 players are now pillars of the Indian team playing in the Tokyo Olympics.”
He said that these players are always in touch with him. “They had left the academy after learning the best of hockey in the academy. For a coach seeing them in the Olympic semifinal is the best feeling of life,” said Paramjeet.
