Bhubaneswar: It’s like a dream come true for 18 years old, Manisha Nayak, a footballer from Team Sports Odisha when Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik walked up to her and shared a few words of empathy and warmth at Kalinga Stadium here on Monday.
When Manisha started her day to take on Rising students in the Odisha Women’s League match, little did she know that she would injure her knee and this disappointment would turn out to be a dream come true moment- that the most loved Chief Minister, Naveen Patnaik would walk up to her and share a few words of empathy and warmth.
As part of a mega sports project inspection when Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, visited the Kalinga Stadium, he stopped by at the Kalinga Stadium football ground to enjoy a thrilling match ongoing between Sports Odisha and Rising Student.
Thereafter, to everyone’s excitement, Chief Minister, promptly walked up to the football ground and interacted with the young players, commending them and posing for a group photo and that is when Manisha who was resting her injured knee at the dugout felt heartbroken that she couldn’t feature in the photos alongside the players and Chief Minister. To her utter amaze, not only did the Chief Minister notice her disappointment but he walked up to her, to the dugout, and posed by her side, while letting her sit and rest her bandaged knee. While she could barely get up, her spirits were soaring high. Her pain felt trivial. A moment she will narrate dearly to her friends and family for years to come and who wouldn’t!
In a world of chaos and noise, there was a leader who has never shied away from showing his warm side of his personality. Sports and otherwise, this politician time and again has proved that he is beyond Politics; that he is true leader of the public and relates with their pain and suffering. Not only will this brief moment but great gesture remain etched in the mind of Manisha, it will also remain an inspiration for the young footballers who witnessed this endearing moment between a Chief Minister and a young footballer.
Manisha, a cadet from Sundargarh Sports Hostel and currently with the Khelo India U18 Football camp at Kalinga Stadium continues to brim with joy reminiscing this moment while her friends have demanded a sweet treat from her which she happily promised to oblige.