Gurdwara Committee bails out budding players

Sarita8217;s world came crashing down when the SAI decided to disband the centre, leaving over 80 budding talents on the streets, literally.

With the doors of the SAI hostels shut on them, sportspersons who had come from various parts of the country to train for hockey, athletics, basketball and volleyball and had been enrolled in local schools, had nowhere to go. Their dream was fast turning into a nightmare.

8220;My parents wanted me to leave the game and come back home. I thought it was the end of it all,8221; Sarita recalled.

Then someone had a novel idea.

The 14 girls training for hockey approached the Sector-19 Gurdwara for help. And the Gurdwara authorities, without batting an eyelid, said yes.

They not only gave the girls a place to stay, but also got admitted them to the school run by the Gurdwara.

Tejinder Pal Singh, the secretary of the Gurdwara said: 8220;These players had tears in their eyes when they came and there was no second opinion on helping them. We can8217;t let their hard work go waste.8221;

Like Sarita, her teammates are relieved now. Another girl, Preeti, cannot thank the Gurdwara authorities enough: 8220;We are so happy that we can study free of cost and continue our game too. Now we will form our own team and participate in the nationals.8221;

Suman Sheokand, goalkeeper from Nirvana Haryana said: 8220;God has come to our rescue in the form of Gurdwara authorities, or we would have had to go home and forget hockey.8221;

SAI Regional Director at Sonipat, SS Roy, told The Indian Express: 8220;We had to close the SAI center. The UT administration asked us to vacate the premises, as a Women8217;s Hockey Academy has to come up there.8221;

For Sarita and her friends, there cannot be a better news. The planned Women8217;s Hockey Academy will be functional from July.

8220;I am pained to hear the story of these girls. I am sure some of the girls above 13 can join the Academy if they are good enough and fit the selection parameters. I wish them luck,8221; chipped in Sports Director IS Sandhu.