"I will greet others in English!"

The hockey stick is a natural extension of your hand if you grow up in the Simdega district of Jharkhand, and Kajal Badha was no exception to it! Simdega is a district that has produced stalwarts of Indian hockey and continued this tradition, thanks to the Astroturf hockey stadium in its capital city. Every year many players are selected to get trained at this stadium, who then form a part of the Jharkhand state team, and many of them represent the national team at various international events.

Kajal started to play hockey since she was a child. Initially, she played with a wooden stick, but her school principal Father Benedict spotted her talent and ensured that she got a brand new hockey stick.  Her excellent game coupled with the encouragement she received from school secured her selection at the Astroturf stadium in 2015. Soon she embraced the routine of a hockey professional that included a strict daily practice and a constant touring to other parts of the country for matches.  However, she noticed that she and her teammates lacked in one thing – “We did not know how to speak English.”

“We did not understand what others spoke, and we also did not have any courage to reply if anyone said anything in English”, she says.

It was not that the school she studied in did not teach English. But like schools everywhere, the primary emphasis was on syllabus completion. “We studied English as a subject, but we could not learn it as a language”, she says. The inability to speak English had its repercussions. While travelling outside their state, these girls found it difficult to communicate with others. This problem became intense in non-Hindi speaking states, like in the Southern and North-Eastern States of the country. “We could not understand what the referees would say and many times we could not say anything if we felt that a decision went against us”, she adds. Sensing an urgent need to tackle this problem, the Simdega Hockey Association approached Pratham, and it was decided that the latter would help these girls learn English. It was the year 2016, and the program has continued uninterrupted since then.

“I like this approach towards English. The activities and exercises have made learning a very easy process”, she admits with a smile. While travelling outside Jharkhand, these girls have to talk about themselves, introduce themselves to others and also sometimes talk to the media. “We can understand what others speak; we can talk to the referee and can face the world with confidence. The feeling of ‘I can speak’ is very special”, Kajal says with a smile that reflects satisfaction.  

However, the English language has offered her and her teammates much more than mere speaking to others. “When we travel to other states, we can talk to the senior players and get some valuable tips from them about the game. It helps us improve our playing technique and also improve the knowledge of the game.” Before this program, communicating with girls from other teams was a problem. But now Kajal and her teammates can talk to girls from other teams and be friends with them. “We have got many new friends, and we talk in English with them”, she says.

At the end of our conversation, Kajal thanks Pratham for the English program, but admits that there is a scope for improvement.  “I still find it difficult to understand if someone speaks very fast. But I am sure with more practice; I will be able to overcome this problem”, she says.

Kajal idolises two players and wants to meet them the next time she travels for her team’s matches. They are Mandeep Singh from the Chandigarh team and Asunta Larka from her state of Jharkhand.  “I will compliment them for their playing and will ask them the secret of their game. And, I will talk to them in English”, she says with a cheerful smile.