Sponsor trouble
The earlier financers didn’t oblige, nor Prasad’s efforts to rope in new sponsors worked. This meant Prasad had to withdraw money from his provident fund and send the team for the Shimla nationals in 1984. “I had to do this since I couldn’t have missed this chance,” he says modestly. With budget meager, the women’s team jerseys were later passed on to the junior and sub-junior squads.
The team went on to reach the quarter-final stage. “During our match against hosts Himachal Pradesh, the then vice-chancellor of the HP University, who was from Bihar, was present. As our team won 11-0, he was very impressed and told me that he would write to the then Bihar chief minister Jagannath Mishra, who was his friend, to provide some financial aid for the state association,” informs Prasad.
The CM intervention made things easier and the players traveled to Shimla. The next turning point came in 1987 when Bihar Police recruited the entire junior team. Ashrita Lakra, now an inspector with Ranchi Police, who was part of that team recalls those days of struggle. “I’m well settled now and all this because people like Prasad sir who did so much for hockey in Bihar. Now hundreds of women players have jobs in various government and other organisations because of hockey,” she says.
Prasad might not be a household name around, but there are several hockey households in Bihar that can’t stop thanking him.