Jagdalpur, April 3 -- Less than 48 hours after writing her Class 12 board examinations, 17-year-old Alish Ekka found herself on the Khelo India Tribal Games 2026 podium with a silver medal around her neck. For the teenager from a nondescript Santoshpur village in Odisha's Sundargarh district, the feat was a fitting tribute to her mother's sacrifices and a reward for a bold decision to switch from hockey to race walking less than two years ago.Born to a former hockey player, Pramila Ekka, who once played at the state level before giving it up because of financial constraints and family responsibilities, Alish grew up chasing a dream to represent India as a striker.
However, limited opportunities in team sports made her rethink her sporting ...