She led India to Asian Games gold. Back home, she can’t make a phone call

Salima Tete led India’s women’s hockey team to Asian Games gold on October 2, ending the country’s 44-year wait for the title. The victory also secured direct qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Tete’s achievement brought national attention to her village in Simdega district, Jharkhand.

At home, however, Tete cannot rely on her mobile phone. Barki Chhapar has no usable mobile network, so she warns people beforehand that she will be unreachable. She said she has missed important emails and messages because of the coverage problem. The village also lacks adequate drinking-water facilities.

Tete submitted a letter to the Simdega Deputy Commissioner seeking both network connectivity and drinking water. Local officials acknowledged the problems. Her father even offered land for a new mobile tower, but no action had been taken. The district administration said it had raised the network issue with the Central government and begun procedures on water facilities.

Mobile network coverage means the area where a telecom signal is strong enough for phones to connect with a network. A phone outside that area cannot reliably place calls, send messages, receive notifications, or use mobile internet. Coverage depends on signals reaching the location with usable strength.

Barki Chhapar lies outside the effective range of a tower in the Pithra Gram Panchayat area. Anil Oraon said residents cannot make even basic phone calls or use the internet. Tete must move toward another area to find a signal, and she often misses emails and messages while in the village.

The problem affects communication and access to information. Tete has to tell people in advance that her phone will not be reachable, including during possible emergencies. Officials said Simdega’s hilly terrain makes network connectivity difficult in several places. The administration is checking what action can improve service.

India’s victory was historically significant because it ended a 44-year-long wait for an Asian Games women’s hockey gold. The team defeated China 1-0 in the final in Japan. Salima Tete, who became captain in 2024, led the side during the tournament.

The win was only India’s second Asian Games gold in women’s hockey. The country’s previous title had come in 1982. That made the new victory a major return to the top of the competition, rather than a routine success. It also carried a direct sporting consequence.

The gold secured India’s qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The achievement brought glory to Tete’s village, block, district, state, and country, according to panchayat head Anil Oraon. Yet the celebration also highlighted the contrast between India’s international success and Barki Chhapar’s missing basic facilities.

Without reliable mobile service, villagers lose a basic link to family, officials, organisations, and emergency contacts. A phone may be present, but it cannot connect when the village lies outside usable coverage. This makes ordinary communication slower and emergencies more difficult to manage.

Salima Tete said she tells people in advance that her phone will not be reachable at home. She asks them to contact other people if an emergency arises. Activist Augustina Soreng said Tete may see a night-time message only the next morning, after moving toward an area with some signal.

The same gap affects work and opportunities. Tete said she has missed important emails and messages. Residents cannot reliably use the internet either. Better connectivity could help officials and organisations reach villagers more quickly, while improved roads and network access might also encourage more local children to take up sports, Oraon said.

Responsibility is shared across several bodies. Simdega’s Deputy Commissioner, Kanchan Singh, leads the district administration and chairs a committee examining network-related problems. The administration has raised the village’s connectivity issue with the Central government, which has jurisdiction over BSNL services.

The Simdega District Sports Officer said officials must check whether a tower exists near the village and what can be done. The administration also raised the matter with the area’s MP. Khunti MP Kali Charan Munda could not be contacted, while Simdega MLA Bhushan Bara said he would personally look into it after learning about the issue.

For drinking water, Singh said the administration had taken the matter into consideration and started the necessary official procedure. A new tower would require action by the relevant telecom authorities. The district administration, Central government, BSNL-related officials, MP, and MLA therefore all have roles, but the article records no completed solution.

A mobile tower does not automatically serve every nearby settlement. Its signal has a limited effective range and can be weakened or blocked by distance and terrain. In a hilly area, slopes and uneven land can prevent a strong signal from reaching a village, even when infrastructure exists elsewhere.

Anil Oraon said a tower stands in the panchayat area but outside Barki Chhapar’s coverage range. Residents still cannot make basic calls or use the internet. Tete’s father, Sulakshan, offered land for installing another tower, but no action had been taken on that offer when the report was published.

Simdega District Sports Officer Manoj Kumar described the district as hilly and said several places face network problems. Deputy Commissioner Kanchan Singh said the village is slightly outside the mobile coverage area. Officials said they would check the situation and consider what could be done, but the article gives no confirmed construction date.

The digital divide is the unequal access to digital communication, including mobile networks and the internet. It is not only about owning a phone. People also need dependable coverage and infrastructure to use calls, messages, online services, education, and work opportunities. Barki Chhapar shows how that gap can persist in a village.

The village has a nearby tower, but its signal does not reach residents. People cannot reliably make calls or use the internet. Salima Tete misses emails and messages, while activist Augustina Soreng described the problem as discrimination against the Adivasi community. Tete’s father offered land for another tower, but no action had followed.

The article links the wider problem to Simdega’s hilly geography and inadequate facilities. Remote communities can be harder and more costly to connect, while neglected infrastructure can deepen existing inequalities. Officials have raised the matter with the Central government and begun examining possible network and water solutions, but no completed fix is reported.