They had two wishes before they began the arduous journey. First, they had hoped to win the match and second, they wanted to make friends. The one event, which opened up these opportunities for the students of Sagteng, was the National School Level Football Championship.
Over 18 girls took up a grueling sojourn, of two-day walk and three days on the road, to Tsirang this time, to compete at the national level. Theirs was among the 14 schools talking part in the tournament.
As soon as they arrived in Tsirang, they stood out like Summer Tanager amidst Sparrows. Curious, the other students had begun asking questions about their cloths, their headgear and their home. “When people stare at us we think they are admiring the uniqueness of our culture and we feel happy about it,” said Sangay Chozome, a student of Sagteng Middle Secondary School (SMSS). She said they are not ashamed to wear their costume but rather proud.
With this positive attitude and easy smile they wear, wish number two wasn’t much of a challenge for them. “I now have an adopted sister and many friends,” said one of the students of SMSS, Phurba Dema.
|
[media id=649 width=320 height=260]
|
|---|
A student from Ugyen Academy, Kinzang Dema, said she is happy to be reunited with her friend who is from Sagteng. “I am very happy to meet my old friend, who is called Ngawang Chimmi. I also admire and appreciate their values and culture.”
Their friends from Ugyen Academy had even planned a surprise- a sportswear for each of them.
The girls enjoyed the attention. Our Reporter, Yeshi Nidup, said they were completely at ease among friends from urban schools. He said the thought of being far away from home did not trouble them at all.
But, they do realise that they are little different from all the new friends they have made and the other students they got to interact with, during their stay. “I feel shy to perform on the stage but students from the cities are ever ready to do that,” said Tashi Tshomo, another Student of Sagteng MSS. She said they are also confident when they talk and they have no problem walking around in the town.
However, the girls could not take the winner’s trophy back home this time. The Sagteng team leader, Sonam Choezang, says his girls would have bagged the winning trophy this year too, had the trip not tired them. But, he said he is proud of his girls who performed excellently despite so much hardship. “They don’t even have a good ground to practice on,” he said. The team had won last year’s championship.
Meanwhile, just before dawn, the girls bid adieu to the old and new-found friends with a promise to meet next year.
