From bamboo sticks to World Cup debut, inspiring story of Indian hockey team’s Nilam Sanjeep Xess

India are placed in Pool D along with England, Wales and Spain. Team India will start its campaign against Spain on Friday at Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium in Rourkela.

Nilam is living in a ‘kutcha’ house with no gas or water connection in Odisha’s Kadobahal village in Sundargarh district. Nilam’s house is located in Kadobahal village under Kuarmunda Block in Sundargarh district.

The player’s family struggles to make ends meet, and for Nilam to practise for an international event is an added challenge.

Nilam’s father Bipin Xess is very happy with his son’s game. Nilam has come a long way to represent India in the World Cup. He said that he has no option but to live in a thatched house.

“We are very proud that our son is going to represent the country. During his childhood days, Nilam practised hockey with his elder brother and friends using bamboo sticks and balls made from torn clothes,” Nilam’s father Bipin Xess told ANI.

Growing up in a village where electricity was scarce, hockey provided a distraction for Nilam, who was otherwise occupied helping his parents with farming. Now after many years of hard work, hundreds of spotlights inside the Birsa Munda Stadium will shine on Nilam.”We have not got any help from the government yet. We have no option but to live in the kutcha house. When our son comes home during breaks, he also stays in this kutcha house. We will be grateful if the govt provides us with a pucca house under any scheme,” Nilam’s father added.

After helping Odisha win the Junior National title in 2015 and 2016, he steadily rose through the ranks. He forced his way into the Odisha senior team, which finished third in the Senior Nationals that year.

He didn’t have to wait long for his international breakthrough, and he had a big impact right away. Nilam Sanjeep, then 17, was a member of the Indian team that won silver at the South Asian Games in 2016 and led the country to the Asia Cup U-18 title in Bangladesh.