Ranchi: Beauty Dungdung of Jharkhand gave a ‘beautiful performance’ in the Uniphar U23 5 Nations Tournament held in Ireland. India’s junior women’s hockey team finished runner-up in this tournament, but the title of Player of the Tournament went to Beauty. Behind Beauty’s success lies a relentless story of her and her parents’ struggle. Before reaching the international hockey field, Beauty herself worked as a labourer in other’s fields, so her father had mortgaged his farm to keep her training and her dreams fulfilled.
When Beauty returned to Ranchi on Tuesday after the conclusion of the tournament, Hockey Jharkhand officials and sports enthusiasts gave her and two other Jharkhand players Mahima Tete and Deepika Soren a warm welcome at the airport. Later, the trio was also felicitated at the Hockey Jharkhand office.
The special thing is that these three players from Jharkhand, who were included in the Indian team, are from Jharkhand’s extremely backward and Naxal-affected Simdega district. Coming from poor families, all the three players have their own struggles.
Beauty Dungdung dominated during the tournament held in Ireland. She scored one goal each against Ireland, the Netherlands and the USA during the league matches of the tournament. India lost 4-1 to Netherlands in the final, but Beauty Dungdung scored the only goal for India.
Beauty’s father Ambrose Dungdung, a resident of Karangagudi-Bajutoli of Simdega, has also been a national hockey player, but his financial condition was never good. Despite this, he dreamt of making his daughter an international hockey player. Beauty used to play with the hockey team of the village and school earlier. During this time, she also did the work of planting in other’s fields. Her father knew that if his daughter had to reach the International ground, then she would have to be well trained and ensure a nutritious diet for her. He and his wife Neelima raised money by mortgaging the farm for this. She got admission in Day Boarding Center located in Simdega. When the condition of the house worsened during the Corona period, Beauty’s father went to Mumbai and worked there for several days.
Due to the training of hockey coach Pratima Barwa at the Simdega Day Boarding Center, Beauty’s game improved day by day and she made a place in the Indian junior women’s hockey. She is currently the Vice Captain of this team. Indian Oil has given Beauty a job.
Her father, Ambrose Dungdung is extremely happy with his daughter’s success. He says that Beauty has made their life meaningful. Her coach Pratima Barwa says that if all goes well, Beauty will also play for India’s senior team at the international level.
(IANS)
