Ranchi, Jan 28 : The dream of owning a proper pucca house is finally coming true for Indian women's hockey team captain Salima Tete and star defender Nikki Pradhan. Both players, who rose to fame while living in kutcha houses, will soon have their own homes in the posh Harmu Housing Colony of Ranchi, thanks to an initiative by the Jharkhand government.

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren will officially hand over the papers for plots allotted to Salima and Nikki during a ceremony at the Project Building in Ranchi on Wednesday.

The government had earlier extended similar benefits to sports legends like cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni and ace archer Deepika Kumari in the same colony.

Though the allotment of plots to Salima and Nikki was announced years ago, delays stalled the process. Finally, the Jharkhand State Housing Board approved the proposal in its 74th meeting on August 14 last year, sanctioning 3,750 square feet of land for each player.

Official sources confirm that all paperwork has now been completed, with Salima receiving plot number 10B and Nikki receiving plot number 10-A in the colony.

Salima Tete, who hails from Barki Chhapar village in Simdega district, still has family members living in a kutcha house. Recently, she managed to construct a small concrete home near her ancestral house. During the Tokyo Olympics 2023, her family did not even own a television to watch her play, prompting Chief Minister Soren to gift them a 43-inch smart TV and an inverter.

Nikki Pradhan's journey is equally inspiring. A native of Hesal village in Khunti district, Nikki's family faced severe financial hardships. Her father, a constable, earned a modest salary, and as a child, Nikki had to work alongside her mother in the fields. She began playing hockey with a stick crafted from bamboo peels, as her family could not afford to buy her proper equipment. Today, her village home still lacks a concrete roof.

The state government has ensured that the families and trainers of Salima and Nikki will also be honoured during the ceremony, acknowledging their role in the players' remarkable journeys.

/IANS