BHUBANESWAR 15-Sep-2008 96
If rugby, a lesser-known sport in India, achieved noticeable progress in recent years, a part of the credit shoud go to Orissa, particularly Orissa Rugby Football Association (ORFA) and Bhubaneswar-based tribal school Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS).
Professional planning and meteculous implementation by administrative bodies, starting from International Rugby Board (IRB) to ORFA and KISS have combined to accelerate the growth of rugby in the state to a great extent, even better than many age-old games.
The turning point came when KISS boys, representing Kolkata club, Jungle Crows and India, defeated South Africa`s Langa Lions in the final to win the Touraid Under-14 International School Rugby Tournament in south west London on September 29, 2007.
The Touraid U-14 Cup brought together underprivileged children from 10 countries to play the 10-a-side tournament, experience new cultures and develop new friendships. For the vast majority of the 120 children who took part in the tournament this was the first time they had left their home district, let alone their country, while others took to the pitch wearing boots for the first time.
It was also a remarkable achievement considering that KISS boys had started playing rugby only four months ago.
The victory was projected as a World Cup triumph by the local media even though the tournament was organised by Touraid, a charitable trust created to help children from disadvantaged background.
A crowd of over five thousand supporters greeted the boys on their return home. They were taken on a rally through the streets of Bhubaneswar on an open-top bus.
Though the exercise smacked of exaggeration, it helped rugby gain popularity and find a solid foothold in the state. Since then, KISS boys have been working diligently, playing and winning matches regularly in the country and abroad.
Inspired by the fame gained through rugby, Dr Achyut Samant, the founder secretary of KISS has doubled his enthusiasm to promote rugby and other games in a bigger way.
His efforts have resulted in Axim Bank coming forward to sponsor the KISS rugby team till the 2010 Commonwealth Games. A rugby ground and a gymnasium, set up by the sponsors, are expected to be functional in the KIIT campus soon.
The university authorities are also working on a project to add four tennis courts and a ground for first class cricket to their existing infrastructure facility, which includes an indoor stadium and ground/courts for other outdoor sports.
``The success in rugby has lifted the image of KIIT further and made me proud personally. Rugby has also shown a new way to thousands of underprivileged tribal children to build their futures properly,`` admitted Dr Samant.
According to ORFA secretary Upendra Kumar Mohanty, Sports Authority of India (SAI) has agreed to adopt KISS and provide coaching and training facilities in rugby.
He admitted that the students of KISS have considerably increased the player-base for rugby in the state. ``If these boys continue to play in the same vein, Orissa can become No 1 among the rugby-playing states of the country in five years,`` predicted Mohanty, also the Central zone president.
Before KISS boys cornered glory, Orissa as a state achieved modest success in rugby with five of its players attaining international stature. Among them fly-half Bikash Jena represented the country in the Doha Asian Games and is looking forward to do so in the Delhi Commonwealth Games.
As a developing state, Orissa has qualified to compete in the National Games for the second time in a row. The state is also striving hard to find a berth in the Division-I competition of the country.
ORFA secretary admitted that the world and national bodies are providing all help, including technical and financial to popularise rugby in the state.
``IRB has been monitoring the progress of the sport through its Development Manager Greg Davey. The support of the world and national body has enabled ORFA to popularies rugby at the grassroots level,`` said Mohanty.
``Time is not very far when India will be a force to reckon with in world rugby,`` he concluded.
