Bubaneswar: Having produced a plethora of hockey internationals, there’s another kid on the block from Odisha — India junior hockey team’s defender Suman Beck. No wonder Beck, who started hockey training at 11 years, gets his inspiration from predecessor Dilip Tirkey, the former India captain.
“I was very young when my father would take me to watch Khasi Cup (decades-old tribal hockey tournament). It was a very natural thing to pick up hockey especially when you are from the Sundargarh region. I was mesmerised by the sport. It brings respect and honour in our villages if you are good at it,” says 21-year-old Beck.
The defender hails from Rajganpur, situated 40kms from Odisha’s Rourkela district.
Having learnt the nuances of the game at Sundargarh Sports Hostel, Beck was influenced by the likes of Lazarus Barla, Roshan Minz, Prabodh Tirkey. The roller-coaster ride of Dilip Tirkey though was the inspiration to success for him.
“I was really influenced by Lazarus Barla, Roshan Minz, Prabodh Tirkey who would always give sound advice whenever they visited us in the sports hostel. They always said, ‘hockey will give you a new life if you stay focused and committed to being the best’.
“I had also heard so much about Dilip Tirkey, his achievements and early struggle. Though I have met him, I am very inspired by his story. I really want to be like these stalwarts and emulate their success. They are a huge inspiration in our region and now the onus is on us to bring laurels to the region,” says Beck.
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