Bengaluru, Feb 26 (IANS) At only 22, Beauty Dungdung bears a heavy burden. Currently, she is training intensely at the Indian Women’s Hockey Team’s national camp in Bengaluru. However, returning to the turf has been the toughest challenge she has faced.
Beauty recalls, “It took me around two years to rebound,” reflecting on her serious knee injury in 2023. She spent months in rehab, questioning whether she would return to play for India. However, the physical pain was minor compared to the heartbreak off the field. During her difficult recovery, she also lost her father.
“My father passed away during my injury period. I was going back and forth between home and the camp, and so much was happening at once,” she shares. “There were times when I really doubted if a comeback would even happen.”
Her father was her greatest hero and support system. Growing up in a small Jharkhand village, they faced constant financial struggles. At age five, her father handcrafted her first hockey stick from bamboo since they couldn’t buy a proper one. Later, he travelled to different states to work as a daily wage labourer, all to support her athletic ambitions.
“When Papa was here, I had a lot of support,” Beauty says quietly. “Now, I have to do everything myself.”
Today, Beauty is the central support of her family. Through her job at Indian Oil, she manages household responsibilities, supports her brother’s family, and finances her young niece and nephews’ education. Most heartbreaking, she cares for her mother, who is partially paralyzed and suffers from memory loss.
“It gets stressful sometimes because Mummy is partially paralysed, and her memory is fading. She forgets things easily,” Beauty admits. “I explain things to her again and again, but she still asks me, ‘When will you come home?’ My mind naturally goes to her when I am away.”
Balancing the intense pressure of international hockey with the emotional sadness at home is not easy. But Beauty refuses to give up.
“If I think too much, I will be the one in trouble, so I put all my focus into the game. It feels good to be able to help my family financially. I just try to manage it from both sides,” she explains.
When she feels overwhelmed by sadness, she finds support in her hockey family. “I have friends in the team, so I share my feelings with them. Even before a match, if I am feeling low, I tell them honestly that my mood isn’t great today, so please motivate me. The team really helps.”
Slowly, Beauty is regaining her rhythm. She rejoined the field for the Asian Champions Trophy and the recent Hero Hockey India League. Now, she is back in the national camp, preparing diligently for the vital FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 Qualifiers in Hyderabad, Telangana. Renowned for her running and receiving abilities, she is working on rebuilding her confidence within the striking circle.
Beauty Dungdung is now more than just a young girl having fun with hockey. Each time she picks up her stick, she plays for her mother’s support, her family’s future, and to honour her father, who carved her first bamboo hockey stick.
–IANS
vi/bc
