Ludhiana: Born to daily wage workers who arrived in the state with nothing, a determined group of schoolgirls has defied lacking facilities and dirt pitches to dominate the traditional heartland of Punjabi hockey.
The daughters of transient workers and labourers from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Jharkhand have secured prominent roles on government and government-aided school hockey teams across the Ludhiana district, specifically in the villages of Jalaldiwal and Sudhar.
Jalaldiwal's success story
At Jalaldiwal’s Government Senior Secondary School, nearly half of the 32 players across the Under-14 and Under-17 girls’ rosters are from families who belong to other states, says coach Baljeet Kaur, a former national-level player. She said: 'These athletes possess the exceptional natural stamina and strength required for competitive hockey, which the sports department’s nutrition programmes supplement.'
Despite two hours and 30 minutes of daily practice on a small dirt ground lacking AstroTurf, the Jalaldiwal programme has maintained a dominant regional presence. Last October, the Under-14 team placed second in the state-level Punjab School Education Board tournament in Bathinda, with a core lineup comprising several migrant students.
The team’s centre-half Simran Kumari — whose father, Prem Mandal, is an agricultural labourer from Bihar — joined the district squad at the state tournament. She aspires to play professionally, citing Indian men’s captain Harmanpreet Singh as her inspiration. Other key players include Khushi Kumari, 13, from Jharkhand and Radhika Kumari, 11, from Bihar, both daughters of labourers.
'The migrant players are an integral part of our teams and play exceptional hockey,' said Harminder Singh of the GBDS GNS Foundation, a local organization supporting the programme alongside proud villagers.
Sudhar's rising stars
A similar demographic shift is on in Sudhar village, where the Nihang Shamsher Singh Sports Club provides the girls with equipment, kits, and nutritional support — including milk and bananas — using NRI donations.
Gurpartap Singh Gill, a club representative, said: 'Many migrant players were born in the village and have led its school team to a strong performance at last year’s Dakha Zone tournament. Prominent players include Raj Nandani, 15, whose family relocated from Bihar decades ago, and Sahil, also 15, son of a mason from Uttar Pradesh, who has reached the zonal level.'
The success of these girls highlights how determination and support can overcome infrastructure challenges, inspiring a new generation of hockey talent in Punjab.
