Hockey in Sundergarh is not only an obsession, but a way of life. Hockey runs in the blood of people of this tribal district, bordering Jharkhand, about 350km northwest of the capital Bhubaneswar. It is said that no child here walks out of the house without a hockey stick in hand. To encompass their love for the game, various hockey tournaments, called the Khasi tournaments, are organised in all villages of the district. The madness of the tribal youth for hockey is well depicted in a documentary named “The Tribal Scoop”.
Sundergarh has also produced great yields for Indian hockey, the most prominent being former India captain and Padma Shri awardee Dilip Tirkey. The recent world squad of India also has two young lads of Sundergarh: Birendra Lakra and Amit Rohidas.