Tribal sports talent: Our national pride

I have observed that in rural areas and forest regions, children spend more time outdoors amidst nature. They discover simple ways to play games. They create play areas by drawing lines and making shapes on the ground. They use dried fruit-seeds as dice and pieces. They make balls from dry leaves, tree roots, and rags. Using bamboo, they make hockey and football goalposts. In this way, using various natural materials, they create their own worlds of sports. Several children play enthusiastically without shoes or jerseys. Children also swim a lot in ponds and lakes. Honing this innate talent for swimming with the help of training and resources available now, Anjali Munda, a 15 year old daughter of Jajpur, Odisha has inspired the youth of the entire country by winning three gold medals on the first day of the inaugural ‘Khelo India Tribal Games 2026’.

Tribal people have a natural passion for archery. In 1855, the Santhal community waged a fierce struggle against exploitation, which is immortalized as ‘Santhal Hool.’ British forces, equipped with modern weapons, suppressed that revolt, but in their accounts, the British made special mention of the martial skills, especially archery, of the Santhal bravehearts. I had the privilege of unveiling the statues of the heroic leaders of the ‘Santhal Hool’, the immortal brothers, Sidho-Kanhu and Chand-Bhairav, and the valiant sisters, Phulo-Jhano, located at their village Uri-Mari in Jharkhand, during my tenure as Governor. Every child in India knows about the greatness of Eklavya who is revered as the greatest archer. Eklavya is an inspiring icon for every Indian, especially for the tribal communities. The ‘Sports Excellence Centers’ set up in Eklavya Model Residential Schools are enabling the children with modern sports facilities and methods. Similarly, schemes to identify and train sports-talent existing elsewhere, alongside the school system, are also being implemented.