Patana: Sincerity, dedication and efforts can ensure success for anyone aspiring to scale great heights. This adage is aptly suited for 17-year old girl Mama Nayak.
She has been selected for the 14-member India Rugby team to play international matches. She has done the district as well as the state proud with her achievement.
Mama Nayak was born of a poor family at Tabhasaruan village under Barbil block in Keonjhar district as the youngest daughter of Dhruba Charan Nayak and Nandini Nayak.
Her father ekes out his living by doing daily wage work and farming. She has two sisters and a brother. She is the youngest of her siblings. Apart from Mama, two other Odia girls have found place in the under18 Indian Rugby team.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has congratulated the three Odia Rugby players on their being selected to the Indian squad. He has wished them success at the international competition.
Rugby Sevens Competition is being organised by Uzbekistan Rugby Association at Tashkent for two days — September 18 and 19. In school days, Mama had a forte for sports.
When she was eight, her parents sent her to KISS in Bhubaneswar for studies. She is currently pursuing Plus-II Arts in KISS. She bagged gold at the national level school sports competition in 2017.
In 2018, she has won bronze medal for playing at national sub-junior Rugby Sevens. Apart from Rugby, she has a lot of interest in Kho-Kho and football. She gave credit for her success to her parents and KISS founder Achyuta Samanta.
PNN