BHUBANESWAR: For footballer Sradhanjali Samantaray, being chosen as the captain of Team India in 2005 was nothing less than a dream come true. For someone who was lured into the game of football through an air ticket that she was promised if she agreed to be a part of the football team representing the State, the offer was a blessing in disguise. Once into the game, she overcame the initial fear of losing to other State teams, and Sradhanjali, who was originally a kho kho player, took up the challenge to gear up and help others in the Odisha team to bring it on par with other teams.
“I remember, when I first played the game, I had to wear men’s studs, stuffing cloth padding inside it to make it fit my feet. And it was merely a four-day training before I, as a team member, played Manipur and Bengal to lose by 35 to 36 goals. But over a period of time, as we practised, the margin decreased,” says the 30-something, who is presently working with Nalco, Bhubaneswar, a distributor of aluminium products.
In 1997, Sradhanjali attended a national camp, from where she was selected to the India team to play the Asian championship. Since then, the footballer has travelled widely to play championships across the globe. She had to undergo a knee surgery in 2001 but bounced back and returned to the game in six months.
After completing her Class XII from Kamala Nehru Women’s College, Sradhanjali graduated from Rajdhani College in 1999, both in Bhubaneswar. Though an average student, Sradhanjali never bunked classes unless she needed to practise. “‘I studied hard during evenings, after matches and then devoted the rest of my time to the game. I did not have many friends, but the few I had were very cooperative and helped me cope with studies. It felt good when my teachers expressed their pride in me and asked me to grace the annual sports day of the college as chief guest,’” says the footballer, with a sense of contentment.
Unlike her friends, she hardly spent time partying or having fun. Having studied in a women’s college for Class XII, she had a chance to mingle with the opposite sex only during her graduation days. “But I must say when I represented my college at the inter-college athletic meet, my male friends were very cooperative, as I was the lone girl in the team.” She also heaps praises on her parents and her coach. “My parents have been very supportive and my coach Nandakishore Patnaik too has stood by me and honed my skills,” she beams.
A member of the Indian football team, Sradhanjali devotes four to five hours for practice at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar. “I am indebted to the Sports Authority of India, Football Association of Odisha, Directorate of Sports and Odisha Olympic Association for their cooperation. Most importantly, I owe my gratitude to Nalco for having given me an opportunity to work in the company because sportspersons not only need support from the government but also from corporate houses,” she says.
Despite not getting much time to spend in college, the phase wasn’t boring for our star. “I never had the time to enjoy with friends or go for outings, but I have no regrets about it because for me college was important only because I needed to be academically qualified apart from being good at sports. In fact, college taught me the importance of discipline and timeliness, which are the two most important elements in sports too,” she says.
The sports star feels awkward when she fails to recognise college friends. “I feel bad when they come and tell me that they had studied with me in the same college. Neither did any of my friends ever come to my house nor did I reciprocate. I had no intimate friends other than my game,” she explains.
She presently leads the Odisha team in various tournaments and championships. Ask her how she felt when leading India as captain during her two year tenure (2005-07) and she is quick to respond: “Captain or a player, to stand in the stadium representing your country while the national anthem plays loudly feels like you are on top of the world,” she says, signing off.
— kasturi@newindianexpress.com
