Pageantry and Power Moves at India’s First Tribal Sports Meet in Odisha

At the state-level championships of India’s first tribal sports meet, Odisha’s bid to become a global destination for sports came together with its tribal identity on Friday June 1.

The three day final phase of the competition, which included sports including athletics, volleyball, hockey, archery, kabaddi, kho-kho and football, was filled with tense and exciting moments in Cuttack and Bhubaneswar.

"Many people think of us tribal kids as backwards but I believe that's very naive of them,” said Subasmita Devi, a 14-year-old who specialises in the long jump. Bhau comes from Odisha’s Ganjam district and loves hockey and football particularly.

“When we heard of the Tribal Sports Competition, my mother encouraged me to get out of the house and participate, no matter whether I win or lose,” Bhau said. “Instead of being a doctor or an engineer, I would like to be a sportsperson.”

Odisha has 62 tribal groups, constituting almost 23 percent of the state’s population. The Tribal Sports Competition is part of the state’s scheme to identify talented sportspersons among the tribal youth as well as demonstrate the traditional games played among the tribal communities.

The meet began with block-level competitions in the 119 Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP) blocks across 13 districts. The tournament provides a necessary push to young tribals, giving them an opportunity to explore an unconventional career. Debesh Kumar Singh, a 12-year-old who specialises in the 100-meter run, comes from Kendrapara district. He told us that he's trying to find purpose and change his life through sports.

The sporting action over three days was spectacular, leading up to the climactic senior kabbadi competitions—both boys and girls. In an intensely fought encounter, Bargarha defeated Sundergarh in the boys category while Kandhamal district prevailed over Sundergarh district in the girls category.

In the closing ceremony, Kalahandi tribal kids performed the regional Ghumura dance, with the leader playing the nisan, a type of drum, and singing. A troop of women from the Santhali community from Mayurbhanj performed the a traditional dance with a kalasha (urn), while men played drums, a flute and bell. The atmosphere was carnivalesque.

Chief Minister of Odisha, Naveen Patnaik—chief guest for the closing ceremony at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Cuttack—was greeted with enthusiastic applause. Patnaik expressed his hope that tournaments like these will one day result in Odiyas winning Olympic medals.

There’s a good chance they will. Odiya tribal youth have been performing well across various sports disciplines. Last year, the Jungle Crows, a rugby team from Odisha won the under-14 championship in London after just 10 months of training. Meanwhile, athletes like Amiya Mallick, Srabani Nanda and Dutee Chand have been consistently performing well at international levels.

The Tribal Sports Competition is among the government’s various efforts to empower tribal youth. In March, the state launched Special Development Councils in nine districts, aimed at preserving the identity of even the smallest tribal groups of Odisha.

Once written off as a backward state, Odisha is proving that the path to empowerment can come from unlikely quarters, such as sports. The state is emerging as a prominent sports destination, having hosted the Champions Trophy 2014, Odisha Men's Hockey World League Final, the Indian Super League, Asian Athletics Championship and the Hero Super Cup. The state is also sponsoring the Indian national hockey teams until 2023 and is all set to host the Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup later this year.