MALKANGIRI: Adding a new tag to her mother’s identity, the daughter of a former woman Maoist cadre has been selected for the under-18 national volleyball team that would take part in the international volleyball tournament to be held in China in August.
Fifteen-year-old Sirisa Kurami, the daughter of former Maoist Chelemma Kurami was selected by the selectors for the national team for her outstanding performance at junior national volleyball championship camp held at Ernakulum in Kerala from April 19 to 24, said district sports officer Gyanendra Prasad Badoi.
Sirisa is a student of Government (SSD) Girls High School in Kalimela run by the SC & ST Department and has been undergoing training in the district sports hostels at Malkangiri during her vacations for the last four years. She has won more than 10 medals representing the district and the State at various levels, Badoi added.
Attracted by the Maoist ideology, Chelemma had joined the rebel group in 1990s. But, she quit the outfit in 1994 protesting the mindless killing of innocent people by the Maoists.
Wanted by the police of both Andhra Pradesh and Odisha in many false cases as claimed by Chelemma, she has served jail sentence for at least six years in both the States. She was released from Malkangiri jail in 2000.
Later, she approached the then collector Chitra Arumugam who appointed her as a cook in Kalimela Government (SSD) Girls High School. Since then, she has devoted her entire time to see her two daughters get settled and lead a comfortable life.
Claiming that her dream has come true, a proud Chelemma, who has been receiving greetings for her daughter’s success, told Express that Kurami would certainly make the nation proud. “I am happy today. But I will not forget those bad days and the hardship I faced in managing the family and shaping the career of my daughters,” Chelemma said.