Meet Beauty, a worker-turned-hockey player whose parents mortgaged farmland to pursue her dream

Ranchi: Beauty Dungdung from Jharkhand had a ‘great performance’ at the Uniphar U-23 tournament held in Ireland.

The Indian women’s junior hockey team finished second in this tournament, but the player of the tournament title went to Beauty. Behind Beauty’s success lies an unrelenting story of her and her parents’ struggle. Before hitting the international hockey field, Beauty herself worked as a laborer in other people’s fields, so her father mortgaged his farm to continue training and fulfilling her dreams.

When Beauty returned to Ranchi on Tuesday after the tournament ended, 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 were also praised at the Hockey Jharkhand office.

The peculiarity is that these three players from Jharkhand, who were part of the Indian team, hail from Simdega district which is extremely backward and affected by Naxal. Coming from poor families, the three players have their difficulties.

Beauty Dungdung dominated in the tournament held in Ireland. She scored one goal each against Ireland, the Netherlands and the United States in the league matches of the tournament. India lost 4-1 to the Netherlands in the final, but Beauty Dungdung scored India’s only goal.

Beauty’s father, Ambrose Dungdung, a Karangagudi-Bajutoli resident of Simdega, was also a national hockey player, but his financial situation was never good. Despite this, he dreamed of making his daughter an international hockey player. Beauty used to play with the village and school hockey team earlier. During this time, she also did planting work in other people’s fields. Her father knew that if his daughter was to reach international soil, she would need to be well trained and provide her with a nutritious diet. He and his wife Neelima raised funds by mortgaging the farm for this. She was admitted to the Day Boarding Center located in Simdega. When the condition of the house deteriorated during the Corona period, Beauty’s father went to Mumbai and worked there for several days.

Through the training of hockey coach Pratima Barwa at Simdega Day Boarding Center, Beauty’s game improved day by day and she made a name for herself in Indian junior women’s hockey. She is currently vice-captain of this team. Indian Oil gave Beauty work.

Her father, Ambrose Dungdung is extremely happy with his daughter’s success. He says beauty gave meaning to their lives. Her coach Pratima Barwa said that if all goes well, Beauty will also play for India’s senior team at international level.