BHUBANESWAR: It's the business end of the Ultimate Kho Kho league Season 2 with holders Odisha Juggernauts taking on Gujarat Giants in the semifinals at the JN Indoor Stadium in Cuttack on Thursday. It goes without saying that the stakes are high for both sides. For Juggernauts skipper Dipesh More, this is going to be an emotional outing.
The athlete from Mumbai is determined to rally his side to the finals with his mother Ujala More, who had been his biggest supporter, in mind. "I am proud to be the captain of the Odisha Juggernaut team. However, I am missing my mother, who was the biggest inspiration and supporter of my sporting career. I believe that as God cannot be present everywhere, he created a mother."
It was around this period in 2020 that Dipesh lost his dear mother due to a heart attack. It has been close to four years since that tragic development but it remains fresh in his mind. "My late mom's tattoo on my chest reminds me that my mother is always with me and her support is always there. When I was taking part in an international camp in January 2020 in Delhi, my coach then got a call that my mother passed away due to a heart attack. I couldn't believe that as I had spoken to her just a day before that," recalled the 28-year-old.
Support was hard to come by for Dipesh during his early years in sports but his mother was someone who always stood by him. It was after getting much-needed encouragement from coach Nadrendra Kundan that Dipesh joined the school kho kho team. He just regrets the fact that his mother couldn't get the chance to watch him play live on TV.
"When it came to sports, no one used to support me during my early days except my mother. I feel sad that she couldn't watch me play live on TV as it was her dream. I play for my mom. However, it was a special moment for me when I got the Shiv Chhatrapati Award in front of my mom and shared that moment with her. I wish I could share more of such moments," added More.
In terms of support, things are gradually improving. The ongoing league has handed the likes of Dipesh much-needed financial boost and some form of recognition. Dipesh felt that all the remaining teams have a fair shot at the title. "Our team is a comparatively young team to others, only two senior players in our team. At this stage, each and every team has to be equally strong to clinch the title."
Semifinal line-up (Thursday): Odisha Juggernauts vs Gujarat Giants (7:30 pm); Chennai Quick Guns vs Telugu Yoddhas (8:30 pm).
Live on Sony Sports Network
