Meet Pratima Barwa, hockey coach who is polishing uncut gemstones in rural Jharkhand
Meet Pratima Barwa, hockey coach who is polishing uncut gemstones in rural Jharkhand
This is a story of resilience and perseverance. When a knee injury in 1995 cut short Pratima Barwa’s journey towards becoming an India hockey player, she took up coaching.
In Simdega, a rural district around 135km south of Ranchi, the 45-year-old trained Salima Tete, Sangita Kumari and Beauty Dungdung. All of them went on to become Indian hockey superstars.
Just when everything was seemingly falling in place, Pratima contracted the coronavirus. Even before she could recover completely, a form of partial paralysis saw her pick up a speech disorder.
Despite the roadblocks, her fight continues.
