Elvera Britto, doyenne of women's hockey, no more
Former India captain had donned many hats in illustrious careerBENGALURU: In the late 1950s, when Karnataka was still Mysore and the only driving force to play sport was passion, a sight to behold was girls on rickety bicycles with hockey sticks slung on their backs making a beeline to the Sullivan Police grounds here. Among the girls were the Britto sisters – Priscilla, Elvera, Rita and Mae — often referred to as the first family of Karnataka hockey. Barring Priscilla, the other three wore the India colours with distinction, but the most celebrated among them was Elvera. The 81-year-old former India captain and proven administrator passed away on Tuesday morning following a heart attack at the city hospital where she was admitted last week. The demise of the prolific player brought the curtain down on a glorious chapter not just in Karnataka but Indian hockey. The 1960s heralded the golden era of women's hockey in the state, and one of the leading lights of that era was Elvera.
