Mahottari, 21 November: Pooja Mahto, captain of the U-19 women’s cricket team, has now been invited to receive honors and awards. Ever since Pooja returned home after being selected for the U-19 Women’s T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), people have been queuing up to meet her, congratulate her and give her prize and honors.
Pooja, who reached her home in Gaushala Municipality-9 Dumarwana of Mahottari on Friday via Kathmandu, has been getting a queue of people congratulating her and giving her honors and awards every day since then. On Friday, Pooja was presented with a certificate and a cash prize of Rs 51,000 by Kushwaha Kalyan Samaj president Vijay Kumar Mahato. On the same day, the residents expressed their happiness by celebrating Diwali in the slums of Gaushala township.
Similarly, on Saturday and Sunday, Pooja’s house was raided. CPN (Maoist Center) Deputy Secretary General Giriraj Mani Pokharel, leaders of various political parties in the district, representatives of social organizations, players of various sports and hundreds of ordinary people congratulated her and wished her the best of the U-19 Women’s T-20 Asia Cup and World Cup.
Last Monday, Pooja was announced as the ‘Face of the Bolts’ by NPL team Janakpurdham Bolts. The team awarded her Rs 50,000 during a ceremony. On Monday, the villagers of Gaushala completed the procession of rally, Pooja and her family members were taken in a specially decorated Ruthrupi vehicle and taken around all the settlements of Gaushala municipality. MP Lakshmi Mahato Koiri, who owns Gaushala-2 house, Gaushala Mayor Dr. Dipendra Mahato along with public representatives, representatives of social organizations, athletes and general public participated in the procession.
Pooja was honored by Gaushala Municipality on Tuesday. Mayor Dr Dipendra Mahato presented Pooja with Rs 1 lakh 51 thousand. Pramod Kumar Jaiswal, Sports Minister of the Madhesh State Government visited him at his home in Dumarwana and congratulated him on Tuesday. “The state government is with the players, the Madhesh government will make every possible effort for the development of the sports sector”, Minister Jaiswal said while congratulating Pooja.
Even on Wednesday, at Pooja’s house in Dumarwana, there was a queue of people to meet her, congratulate her and give her awards. A team of doctors and management of Janaki Academic Hospital Pvt Ltd located in Ramgopalpur reached her home and awarded her Rs 11,000. “The next goal is to perform well in the World Cup and lift the Asia Cup”, Pooja replied to those who came to congratulate her. “The positive interest shown towards us now has made us feel the responsibility to do better”, says Pooja, “Everyone’s love and encouragement has added energy.”
Her father Ranjit Mahato Oodhi is happy with the success of the Nepali women’s cricket team along with Pooja. “Pooja is now the daughter of the country, she will make the name of the country known all over the world”, he said. Ranjith has four children including three daughters and one son. All are cricket players except the elder daughter Anju. With Pooja’s success, younger daughter Aarti and son Krishna have also become more enthusiastic about the game of cricket.