Under a sky indifferent to whether it's match day or Monday, a group of girls pursue a hockey ball in a dusty field in Kollam with all their might. Though their shoes might be ancient and their sticks borrowed or bent, that does not stop them. Girls across Kerala's little towns and villages are subtly and without much noise altering the appearance of Indian women's hockey one tackle, one goal, one determined sprint at a time.
The energy is raw. And the dreams, Bigger than most can imagine.
This isn’t just a game for them. It’s a chance. A way out. A way in. Because quietly, and without much noise, girls across Kerala’s small towns and villages are changing the face of Indian women’s hockey one tackle, one goal, one determined sprint at a time.
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Beginning of Everything
For a long time, Kerala hardly came up in discussions about hockey in India, especially when it came to girls. States like Punjab or Odisha always produced the most well known figures. Under the surface, something was developing though.
In places like Pathanamthitta, Palakkad, and Alappuzha, school play areas turned into training grounds, and more girls begun picking up hockey sticks after classes.
Coach Beena George from the Kerala State Sports Council puts it simply: “The talent was always here. All they needed was someone to watch them play.”
School Grounds Built Their Grit
The real spark came from government schools that made hockey part of regular sports training over the last decade. In small classrooms with broken blackboards, teachers also became coaches. And during PT periods, many girls got their first taste of the game.
Places like Kottayam and Thrissur led the way. Schools started forming girls’ teams. And from there, it spread like wildfire. With school level championships and district tournaments, the fire only grew stronger.
It wasn’t just about scoring goals. It became a matter of pride, especially for girls from conservative or financially tough backgrounds.
Not Just a Game—It’s a Fight
Playing hockey in rural Kerala isn’t easy if you’re a girl. Not because of the game but because of everything around it. What will people say? Should girls really be traveling to tournaments? Is this even a ‘respectable’ sport?
Take Anjana from Idukki. She’s just 14, but as of now sharper than most grown-ups. She utilized to hide her sports equip beneath her school skirt so no one in her neighborhood would know she was playing. “They told me girls shouldn’t run around with boys. But the ball doesn’t care if I’m a girl,” she says with a smirk.
It’s this kind of quiet rebellion that makes their victories sweeter.
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From Local Matches to National Hope
In 2022, Kerala made headlines by sending its largest ever girls’ team to the Junior National Championship. Five of those girls came from villages where turfs don’t even exist.
One of them, Nimisha, 17, from Aluva, prepared on uncovered school grounds. Her father offers coconuts at the nearby market. She had one pair of shoes. Her stick a hand me down. And yet, she’s now training at a national SAI center.
Stories like hers are becoming more common and they’re pushing more girls to dream bigger.
The Backbone: Coaches and Small Academies
What’s powering this rise? Not fancy academies. Not big sponsors. It’s local coaches, many of whom were once players themselves. They’ve come back to their hometowns to train girls for free, often with just the basics.
In Malappuram, Coach Shalini runs practice sessions in an open field next to a school. No turf, no seating, no shade. Just grit. “We don’t have much,” she shrugs. “But these girls show up every day, and that’s enough.”
Slowly, academies are forming too. Places in Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram now run girls-only hockey batches, and even private schools are joining the movement, hiring coaches and forming teams.
The Power of a Video
One huge game-changer is Social media.
Girls from rural Kerala are sharing match clips, training drills, and tournament wins on Instagram and YouTube. These recordings get shared, now and then indeed going viral—and in a world driven by screens, visibility implies opportunity.
Reshma, a 16-year-old midfielder from Palakkad, snickers when inquired how she got taken note: “One of my objectives was posted online. Next week, I got a call to trial in Chennai. I didn’t even know who shared it.”
Still, There’s a Long Way to Go
Yes, the girls are rising. But that doesn’t mean the road is smooth. They still face:
- A lack of proper turf fields, especially in villages
- Outdated or borrowed gear sticks, shoes, and safety kits
- No diet plans or medical support, even for serious players
- Transport issues when traveling to state or national camps
But ask any of them if it’s worth it? The answer is a quiet nod and eyes that burn with purpose.
Why It All Matters?
This isn’t just about winning matches. It’s about:
- Letting girls rewrite what’s possible in their communities.
- Giving them a sense of identity that no one can take away.
- Creating role models for other young girls across Kerala.
And making sure India’s future women’s hockey team has new blood—with fire in their bellies and roots in small town Kerala
In the End: They’re Not Waiting Anymore
For too long, girls in rural Kerala waited for someone to notice them, to give them a reason, a push, a permission slip. Not anymore.
Now, they’re training in the heat, traveling for trials, winning small tournaments, and showing up every day like it’s game day.
Imperfect lawns or new clothing are not necessary to establish their place. All they require is a stick, a ball, and the belief that the road to greatness might begin in a village but it could take them everywhere.
