Guwahati/Patna: Bihar’s junior girls’ hockey team has made the state proud by winning the silver medal at the Junior East Zone Khelo India ASMITA Games held in Guwahati. This achievement is being seen as a big step forward for women’s sports in Bihar. Despite facing teams from stronger hockey backgrounds, the girls showed confidence, discipline and strong teamwork throughout the tournament. Their performance has brought attention to the growing talent in Bihar and has inspired many young girls to take up sports.
The journey of the team in the tournament was both challenging and inspiring. In the pool matches, Bihar played with great energy and focus, defeating teams from Tripura and host state Assam. The players showed good speed, accurate passing and a solid defence, which helped them reach the final. In the final match, Bihar faced Odisha, a well-known power in Indian hockey. Although Bihar lost the final, the team fought till the end and earned praise for their skills and determination.
For this strong performance, the team was awarded a cash incentive of Rs 1.44 lakh by the Government of India and the Government of Odisha. After returning from Guwahati, a special felicitation programme was organised at Vikas Bhawan. Bihar’s sports department secretary, Mahendra Kumar, and director of sports, Arif Ahsan, congratulated the players and encouraged them to aim higher in the future. The programme was filled with pride and happiness, as officials praised the girls for bringing honour to the state.
During the interaction, the secretary spoke personally with the players about their matches, goals and training experiences. The players shared that training on the international-standard hockey turf at the Rajgir Sports Complex played a key role in their success. Officials said this turf has become a strong base for hockey in Bihar. They also informed that a new hockey turf of the same standard is being developed in Patna, which will give players better facilities and more opportunities to improve.
On the same occasion, the president of Hockey Bihar and rural development minister, Shravan Kumar, congratulated the team and wished them success in their future careers. The director general of the Bihar State Sports Authority also assured the players that they would continue to receive modern facilities, better coaching and full support. Team coach Anant Kumar said Bihar has many talented hockey players and stressed the need for proper guidance and regular training. Team manager Tamanna Raj highlighted the importance of regular matches and a strong training system to keep improving performance.
In recent years, Bihar has successfully hosted international hockey events such as the Women’s Asian Champions Trophy and the Hero Asia Cup Hockey. Building on this progress, plans are now in place to train young women hockey players under the guidance of experienced coach Harendra Singh. The sports department has made it clear that it will provide all possible support to help Bihar’s daughters succeed in sports. The silver medal at the Khelo India ASMITA Games is being seen as a hopeful sign of a bright and successful future for hockey in Bihar.
