Jharsuguda: The journey of hockey in the Jharsuguda district began in April 2021 with the establishment of the Mo School Club. This initiative was spearheaded by the then-District Magistrate Saroj Kumar Samal, who appointed former Odisha state player and Panposh Hostel alumna Manju Lakra as a temporary coach at Navodaya Vidyalaya. This effort successfully introduced organized hockey training for both boys and girls in the school.
The first hockey tournament took place at the 2nd OSAP ground, featuring six schools: Saint Mary School, DAV, Government School-Sarbahal, Ghanashyam Hemlata, Gandgora, and Orient Colliery School. Navodaya Vidyalaya excelled in the event, securing the top position in both boys’ and girls’ categories. The boys’ runner-up was Government Vidyalaya-Sarbahal, while DAV took second place in the girls’ competition.
Thanks to Saroj Kumar Samal’s efforts, Vedanta presented trophies to the four winning hockey teams and provided equipment to six other schools. The girls’ hockey team from Navodaya Vidyalaya, Jharsuguda, not only won first place but also advanced to the Nehru Cup, successfully reaching the second round after winning their opening match. In 2022, Jharsuguda’s teams participated in the inter-district tournament, surpassing the second round in senior, junior, and sub-junior categories for both boys and girls, with the sub-junior teams reaching the quarter-finals.
To further promote hockey in 2023, the junior hockey teams from Jharsuguda were organized into three zones: Kirimira on April 7 and OPJC on April 14, culminating in a two-day final tournament that began on May 13 at the Vedanta college grounds. This zonal structure effectively allowed players from the sub-district level to engage in the sport.
In 2024, Jharsuguda district was represented by six teams in the inter-district competition, encompassing senior boys and girls, junior boys and girls, and sub-junior boys and girls. The sub-junior girls team reached the quarter-finals, while the other five teams progressed to the second round. Continuing this success, the district’s girls’ team finished as runners-up in the Odisha Inter-School Competition. Notably, four students from Senthamarai English School were selected for the Odisha CISCE School Team, and five students (three girls and two boys) from Kirmira Eklavya Model Residential School and Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya earned spots in the Hockey National School Team.
