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Almost didn’t start, Sudeep Chirmako now India’s go-to finisher

By, New Delhi
Dec 02, 2021 11:24 PM IST

The forward from Odisha’s tribal belt overcame his family’s humble financial situation to play hockey and is a key India player at the Bhubaneswar World Cup.

Sudeep Chirmako was nine years old when he first told his parents he wanted to play hockey, and the response was a stern no. With his father a daily wage labourer and sole bread winner, the family could only afford to fund his elder brother Amit’s nascent career in the sport. “My father told me it was not possible for him to fund studies and hockey for both of us. Only one of us could play,” says Sudeep, recalling the conversation from nine years ago.

Sudeep Chirmako in action during the FIH Junior Hockey World Cup.(Hindustan Times)
Sudeep Chirmako in action during the FIH Junior Hockey World Cup.(Hindustan Times)

He was very upset, but Sudeep had no choice but wait for two years. The love for hockey would still pull the Odia boy to the ground, to watch his brother, friends and older boys play local matches in Rajgangpur in the tribal belt of Sundergarh, a hockey hotbed which has produced formidable players like former India captain Dilip Tirkey and Tokyo Olympics bronze medallists Birendra Lakra and Amit Rohidas.

Sudeep didn’t lose his passion for the game and his parents were encouraging two years later in 2014 when he was selected to play for the Panposh Sports Hostel in Rourkela, beginning a journey which has landed the now 18-year-old in the semi-finals of the ongoing junior World Cup in Bhubaneswar as a key forward of the home team. He scored two goals in the group stage win over Poland to be named Player-of-the-Match.

Voyage begins

Despite selection to the sports hostel, Sudeep started playing with a hockey stick borrowed from his cousin. “Though my parents didn’t support me initially, I had the backing of my elder brother, who plays for Odisha. He always supported me with whatever equipment. Later, seniors in the academy helped me a lot in getting shoes, sticks and other stuff for my kit,” says Sudeep, whose younger brother Rohit now plays for the Rourkela sports hostel.

Consistent performances and scoring goals regularly caught the eye of the state selectors who made Sudeep captain of Hockey Gangpur-Odisha at the 2018 sub-junior nationals. A hat-trick in the quarter-finals against Chandigarh impressed the national scouts, who picked him for the junior national camp. Within two months, his poaching abilities earned him promotion to the state junior side and he steered the team to a bronze medal finish.

Simultaneously made part of the junior national camp, Sudeep made his India debut at the 8-Nations Invitational Tournament in Spain in 2018. But the biggest reward for his zeal and persistence was selection to the side for the 2018 Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires. It was a five-a-side (Hockey5s) competition, but the selectors picked the Odisha teenager for his pace and knack of scoring.

Sudeep hammered 11 goals—the third highest in the tournament and most by an Indian—to help India win silver. He was also in the India team that won silver at the 2019 Sultan of Johor Cup in Malaysia.

“We’ve got so many talented players coming through from across the country. I want to learn from all of them and make myself better. If you want to be a forward for India, you need to have everything in your game. I know it is a huge challenge but I am ready to do everything to improve every day,” says the striker who dreams of a spot in India’s 2024 Paris Olympics squad.

“It is a wonderful phase in my life and young career,” he says. “I’ve a dream which I want to fulfill for my parents, and that is to play for the country for many years. I come from a region which is known for its hockey and several players have represented India…”

Sudeep idolises India forward Akashdeep Singh and hopes to play alongside him one day. “The area I play in on the field is very similar to what Akashdeep does for the senior team. He’s very quick with the ball and his positioning and off-the-ball runs are always very useful for the team,” says Sudeep, who also wished Akashdeep on his 27th birthday on Thursday.

India face six-time champions Germany in Friday’s semi-finals at the Kalinga Stadium. Argentina take on France in the other semis.

Sudeep is regularly in touch with Rohidas and Lakra, who retired after 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

“I keep learning from them about the style of play of opposition teams, how much effort it takes on the field. They keep telling that my time is now and to play at my best and advise what I need to do to make a mark,” he says. “I am quite confident of a podium finish. We will try our best to carry forward the legacy of our seniors (India won in 2016 and are the holders.)”

If India reach Sunday’s final, it will be extra special for Sudeep as he turns 19 that day. The teenager hopes he can help India claim the title and use that to boost his family’s modest financial situation. “My brother has just got a job, but I want to help too,” he says.

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