PANAJI
Goans hockey officials once again justified their move to romp in players from outside the state for the Goa team for the 14th Hockey India national championship held in the month of March this year in Pune Maharashtra on the grounds that local players did not turn up for practice.
Nine players, who were not based in Goa, played for the state team at the Senior nationals, out of which eight of them had already played for different states in the Hockey India championship in the previous years.
“We had to go for the outstation players as you people did not come for the practice sessions," said one official while addressing the players of the women’s team, while justifying the move to sacrifice Goan interests over the outstation players.
Of the nine players who did duty for Goa at the Pune National championship from outside the state were, goalkeeper Komal, who played earlier for Delhi Hockey, Kirandeep Kaur for Hockey Punjab, another goalkeeper Ruparna Das for Hockey Bengal, Umra for Hockey Himachal, Ruby Devi for Hockey Arunachal, Payal for Hockey Himachal, Dhawal Manisha for Steel Plant Sports Board, Arti Kashyap for Himachal Academy, while Baghel Akanshi, made her at the senior national women championship.
Incidentally except for Manisha Dhwal (27), all others players are in their early 20's, Komal (22), Kirandeep Kaur (22), Arti Kashyap (21) , Baghel Akanshi (18), Payal 23, Ruby Devi (19), Umra (230 and Ruparna Das (20).
In the two matches of the championship Goa, who were led by 30-year-old Mathkar Manjita, the oldest member of the team, lost 9-1 to Odisha and drew 2-2 to Chandigarh.
Over the last two years, Goa senior team has conceded 43 goals in six matches and scored four goals in the process.
In 2023 senior women nationals they conceded 14 goals without any reply in two matches and in the previous year they let in 18 goals and scored two in the process.
Goa team at the March 2024 championship
Komal (GK), Geeta Rathod Virnodkar Khushi Mahesh, Kirandeep Kaur, Arti Kashyap, Baghel Akanshi, Aditi Agni Naik, Diksha Chowdhari, Anuska Quadros, Anoshka D'Souza, Nikita Naik, Yukta Mahato, Dhawal Manisha Mathkar Manjita, Payal, Ruby Devi, Umra and Ruparna Das (GK)
