The biggest leveller, the greatest motivator and a complete life-changer, every step of the way!
Kohli did not become ‘Virat’ in a day. Nor did Mohammed Shiraj traverse a path of roses on his tumultuous rise to stardom. Neeraj Chopra was not born with a javelin in hand. Look deep, and there lies strewn stories of adversities, sweat, toil and utmost grit and determination among majority of athletes who brought laurels to our country in the Asian Games this year.
We often count the triumphs and ignore the beginnings, or the long journeys thereafter. It is these journeys, however, that go on to shape personalities and script brilliant success stories
Grit. Determination. The undying thirst to overcome odds and shine. The passion to prove oneself, play for the country, watch the Tricolour unfurl and hear the strains of Jana Gana Mana rent the air. Sports (and we are not only talking about cricket here!) breeds these emotions, and warrants them too!
And, it’s this magic power of sports, as a tool for empowerment and personality development, that’s unfolding across our intervention areas.
The shooting stars…
Why else would 11-year-old Sanjana, from an urban slum in one of our intervention areas in Kolkata, dream about winning medals for her country in karate and kickboxing? Sanjana’s parents struggle to arrange a square meal for the family. There is no guarantee as to how long she would be able to pursue her own education. But, she is undaunted. When we started kick-boxing training classes in her neighbourhood as part of one of our projects, she was the first one to join in. Eyebrows were raised, questions swirled around. A girl wants to learn kickboxing? Why? Sanjana chose to look away, and convinced her family to do the same.
Two years of diligent practice, under the watchful eyes of her mentor, fuelled by a burning passion to prove her mettle, culminated in a moment of crowning glory – a silver medal in a national meet in Kolkata recently. For the 11-year-old, with a frail frame and a gleam in her eyes, it’s her yearning to prove herself on a platform and make a name of her own that touches a chord. “Hum ko jeetna hain,” her words sound like almost a declaration of war, as much against her future opponents, as against the adversities in her life that threaten to tug her back at every step.
Sanjana is definitely not alone in her passion to excel in sports. Across our intervention areas in the hinterland of the country, mired in poverty and shackled by superstitions and age-old customs, are girls (and boys) who muster courage to rise above the ordinary by dint of their passion for sports.
A girls’ group in a remote village in Jharkhand has formed a football team of their own, and has even started participating in local tournaments. They have not hesitated to step into what is strictly a boys’ domain and intend to carry on, confidently shutting their ears to the hushed voices of dissent around them. Their success is never to be measured in the trophies they go on to win (if at all!). It’s their undying spirit and the slowly evolving confidence that call for a salute. Growing up in a community that’s ever enthusiastic to decide benchmarks, yardsticks and restrictions for them, the teenaged girls are making a statement, and a powerful one at that!
In one of our intervention areas in strife-torn Manipur, yet another group of teenagers are clinging on to football as a beacon of hope to prove themselves and their skills. Football training sessions, as part of the project, are drawing girls teeming with enthusiasm and love for the sport. With the North-East having sprung up footballers of repute in the national and international stage, it is obvious that the passion runs in the blood, communities and neighbourhoods. That the girls are willing to defy parental strictures, societal conventions and the daily struggles to run the extra mile is noteworthy and offers hope.
We meet Singthanganbi (17), who has a ‘faint heart’. She is plagued by some strange illness, because of which she faints often, declares her neighbour. Braving her “illness”, and her parents’ worries, the 17-year-old started attending training sessions in her neighbourhood a year ago. The coach is not surprised as he watches her run like the wind. And yes, her heart’s holding up fine. The ‘faint-hearted’ has managed to overcome her innermost demons and to a large extent, shut out the ‘chatter’.
And their biggest passion…
That sports boosts a feeling of empowerment and fosters personal and community development, needs no second telling. But, to see it actually happening on the ground, albeit over a period of time, is heartening. Participation in sports, be it any form, has fostered a sense of self-confidence and resilience among our children. Be it the young kick-boxer from Kolkata or budding footballers from Manipur or Jharkhand, their passion for and participation in sports has admittedly improved mood, reduced stress, and increased overall well-being.
The children are imbibing skills such as teamwork, leadership, communication, and discipline and are learning concepts as social inclusion and community cohesion. Sports has given them a platform to participate, delve deep into their selves and churn out magic with their own capabilities. Sanjana vouches for it.
Intertwined with education, sports has become a potent tool to equip a generation with necessary life skills and knowledge that will help them to fight adversities, learn from their experiences and grow. From among the teeming millions of children, blessed with talent and skill yet hindered by poverty, ignorance and lack of education, there is a pool of young minds, who are being trained to take on leadership roles and to develop critical decision-making and problem-solving skills. By encouraging them to take initiative and responsibility, sports is fostering a sense of empowerment and self-efficacy. Singthanganbi, from Manipur, has already brought in a few more girls from her community to join football training. A footballer in the making, and indeed a leader, in the truest sense!
Needless to say, the best part is that gender equality is being championed, to the hilt. Singthanganbi and her friends in far-flung Manipur, the group of spirited adolescents in remote Jharkhand, a confident Sanjana in Kolkata and many more, stereotypes are being kicked aside, and the undaunted spirit is triumphing, time and again.
Agreed, there can be only one Sachin or Kohli or Neeraj in a generation, but there are millions in the country who are watching them, aspiring to be like them, while trying to conquer the demons around. This Children’s Day, let us be with these aspiring sports-stars, help them reach out for the sky and at the same time teach them that the sky should never be their limit. They must strive to go beyond!
The author is the Regional Director of CRY (East).