Latest news with #SimdegaHockey
United News of India
01-07-2025
- Health
- United News of India
Former Indian hockey player Bimal Lakra hospitalised
Ranchi, July 1 (UNI) Former Indian hockey player Bimal Lakra was hospitalised today after he was found unconscious in a field near his native village Tansar in Simdega district of Jharkhand. He has been admitted to the Curesta Hospital here for advanced treatment. According to Manoj Konbegi, Vice President of Hockey Jharkhand and President of Simdega Hockey, Lakra collapsed while working in his field. He was initially taken to Kurdeg for primary treatment and later referred to Simdega Sadar Hospital, where a CT scan revealed a blood clot in his head. Doctors advised immediate transfer to Ranchi for specialised care. Lakra, 45, represented India as a midfielder and was part of the national squad that won the silver medal at the 2002 Asian Games. His younger brother Birendra Lakra and sister Asunta Lakra have also represented India in international hockey. Taking note of the incident, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren has directed Health Minister Irfan Ansari and Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Sudivya Kumar to ensure all necessary medical assistance is provided to Bimal Lakra and to keep him informed of the developments. UNI XC SSP
Time of India
25-04-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Having fought adversity as a child, Deepika ready to battle it out for glory Down Under
Kolkata: As the Indian women's hockey team begins their campaign Down Under against Australia A in Perth on Saturday, one of the many youngsters who will hope to impress coach Harendra Singh and cement their place in the side is Deepika Soreng . She is one of the five players in the touring side from Jharkhand and will be a key to the coach's plans as far as scoring is concerned. Another product of Simdega Hockey and trained by coach Pratima Barwa, Soreng, however, didn't have a very happy childhood growing up in one of the most impoverished districts of the country. "My father passed away when I was very young and my mother went off to work as a labourer in Odisha. It was my elder brother who took care of me and made sure I could follow my dreams," said Soreng during an interaction upon the team's arrival in Australia. "Although my mother wasn't there, she kept sending us money so that all our needs were met." Deepika's mother Friska now works in Rourkela and saw her girl play for the first time when she took part in the maiden Women's HIL for Soorma Hockey Club. While watching her daughter play was special, Friska couldn't hold back her joy when she heard Deepika was going to play in Australia. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trending in in 2025: Local network access control [Click Here] Esseps Learn More Undo "My mother was immensely proud when I gave her the news. It was the first time she heard the name of the country and she kept telling me to play well," said the young forward. All this might not have been possible had she not studied in RC Upgraded Middle School in Karangaguri where Father Benedict Kujur had a rule where every student had to bring a hockey stick to school. As a result, the game became part of her life from a very young age and she never let go of it. As years went by, she kept improving by leaps and bounds and successfully made it to the junior India team where she had a terrific 2023. Her efforts helped her win the Hockey India Upcoming Player of the Year and later got a call-up to the senior team last year. She played four Pro League matches during India's tour to Europe before the Olympics but she failed to make the cut over the next few months. However, the 21-year-old has a got another golden opportunity to show her skills and she can't wait to take the field. "I want to make sure that I combine well with the team and give my best. Since Australia play a high-press game, we also want to play full press against them and have been training in similar fashion during the camp in Bengaluru," said Soreng. Although not new to the setup, what has helped Deepika in the recent days is Hanrendra's coaching technique. "He does get angry at times but he makes sure that we understand what he is teaching us," she added. One hopes he will be able to guide her to even greater heights now so that she can make her family and the country proud.
