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Pratima Barwa, Jharkhand Women’s Hockey Pioneer, Dies After Paralytic Stroke

Tributes from Jharkhand’s political leadership have underscored her role in nurturing international women’s hockey talent

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Photo:SNS
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Overview

  • Barwa suffered a paralytic stroke and after brief false reports of her death during ventilator treatment, she died on June 1 at a private Ranchi hospital.
  • As head coach at the Khunti residential hockey training centre and a longtime mentor in Simdega, she helped cement Jharkhand’s reputation as a national women’s hockey powerhouse.
  • Among her protégées are India captain Salima Tete and internationals Beauty Dungdung and Sangita Kumari, reflecting her impact on the sport.
  • Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren and Hockey India general secretary Bhola Nath Singh led a wave of tributes praising her transformative influence.
  • Barwa is to be cremated in her ancestral village, and her passing has evoked widespread mourning across the Indian sporting community.