Ranchi: Ranchi’s Birsa Munda Airport reverberated with slogans and chants of celebration on Sunday, as four daughters of Jharkhand returned home after proving their mettle in the Asian Games and making the nation proud with their ‘golden’ accomplishments.
Indian women’s hockey team captain Salima Tete and team members Nikki Pradhan, Beauty Dungdung, and Deepika Soreng were given a grand welcome as they arrived at the airport. They were felicitated with garlands as fans and well-wishers welcomed them by beating drums and getting into a traditional jig.
Officials from Hockey Jharkhand, coaches, fellow players, sports enthusiasts, and family members were present at the airport to welcome the four players, who had arrived in Ranchi via Bengaluru from Japan.
As soon as the players stepped out, the crowd began celebrating them with the beat of drums. The players were honoured with garlands and bouquets.
Many players and sports enthusiasts raised their hockey sticks to show respect for their champion peers. The Indian team clinched the gold medal by defeating China 1-0 in the final, securing the gold medal for India in women’s hockey at the Asian Games after 44 years.
The four players from Jharkhand played a pivotal role in this success.
The most emotional moment at the airport came when the players reunited with their families after a long wait.
The joy on the family members’ faces was evident the moment they saw their daughters. The players met their parents and sought their blessings. Following this, officials, coaches, and players from Hockey Jharkhand congratulated the four champion daughters by offering them sweets. The airport premises echoed continuously with slogans.
Amidst chants of “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” and “Jharkhand Ki Betiyan Zindabad” (Long live the daughters of Jharkhand), the players smiled and acknowledged their fans. The glow of their gold medal victory was evident on their faces, as was the visible joy of returning to their own people.
(IANS)
