Salima hails from Barkichapar village in Simdega, one of the most Left-Wing Extremism (LWE)-affected districts in Jharkhand. Her village has 45 households, none of which had a TV until then.Salima was among 32 players recognised at the National Sports Awards ceremony. Chief Minister Hemant Soren, former Chief Minister Arjun Munda, and other leaders congratulated her on this significant milestone.Born into a poor tribal family, Salima began playing hockey with a bamboo stick for her village team and participated in local tournaments. Her father, Sulakshan Tete, is also a skilled hockey player, and her mother, Subhani Tete, is a homemaker. Salima used to participate in the Lathakhaman hockey tournament with her father every year.In 2011, Salima’s talent was noticed by Manoj Konbegi, the organiser of the Lathakhaman hockey tournament and then joint secretary of Hockey Simdega, now the President of the Simdega Hockey Association. Salima won the Best Player award during the tournament.“When I saw her playing at the village tournament in 2011, I spoke to her father, urging him to send her to the hockey centre to hone her skills, but he did not pay heed to my suggestions,” said Konbegi. “In 2012, I reminded him again, but he didn’t respond. However, in 2013, he finally agreed to send her to the centre.”
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