Systematic training and schooling nurture winning sportsmen

Winners all! Some of the students being sponsored by the Club
at the Balewadi Academy in Pune

Through an unusual project, the Rotary Club of Bombay and its Sports Committee last year started lending a helping hand to those supporting young, athletic students from Adivasi belts in the rural hinterland so that they could be groomed for national-level competitions and perhaps even for the Commonwealth and Olympic Games.

At the same time, they could also pursue their studies and thus develop an all-round personality so that in course of time they would be able to take up regular jobs and not remain dependent on an uncaring societal system.

All that they needed was a push along the path to scientific, systematic training and to a regular school.

If first reports are to be believed, the initial batch of students that was helped to make its way to the Balewadi Sports Academy near Pune has shown promising results . both in their studies as well as in their attempts on the athletics field.

Gulab, Magan and Bhim. this trio has been doing very well,
taking full advantage of the facilities

(The photographs on this page feature some of those students at a felicitation function in Pune.)

Two students from this group, viz., Bhimsingh Vasave and Magan Padvi, have done well in their SSC exams and will continue their studies at Balewadi (till Standard XII).

Although their marks are not spectacular by city standards, they are creditable, nevertheless, considering that the youth are firstgeneration learners from the Adivasi belt.

Bhimsing Vasave scored 64.76% at the SSC exams (with 58 in Marathi, English 54, Hindi 66, Maths 75, Science 64 and Social Science 79). He is now studying Commerce in higher secondary school and is concentrating on 400, 800 and 1,500 metres on the tracks.

Magan Padvi, on the other hand, scored 54.92% (Marathi 49, English 51, Hindi 37, Maths 61, Science 57 and Social Science 77). He is doing Arts and prefers long-distance running such as the Marathon and 5,000 and 10,000 metre events.

Camaraderie and competition go hand in hand. Two of the youngsters
at the Balewadi Academy

Sonya Vasave and Amasha Vasave are younger and are average in their studies; they are good at long jump and athletics, respectively.

A fifth youth, Rajesh Padvi, although he was doing well in sports, failed for two consecutive years in Std. VIII and was sent home.

Finally, Gulabsingh Vasave. Now in the SSC, he is a likely candidate to take part in the Youth Commonwealth Games this year. According to sources at Balewadi, his collection of medals weighs about two kg. (he is at present looking out for a good pair of spikes).

The following is a brief glimpse at the (better) performances of some of the above students since their advent at Balewadi in Pune.

Bhimsingh Vasave: In 2004, he finished 3rd in 400 metres and 2nd in 800 metres at the 16th West Zone Junior Athletics Meet; in 2007, at the 19th version of the competition, he won the 1,500 metres event. Similarly, he bettered his performance at several other events and tournaments.

Some of the young students received duffel bags at the felicitation
programme held in Pune

Amasha Vasave: He finished 3rd in the Triathlon at the State Junior Athletics Championships in Pune in 2006; he went on to win the event in the following year.

He was 3rd in 400 metres and 2nd in 600 metres at the School State Athletics Championships in Pune in 2006. In the next year.s event, he bettered his position to 2nd in 400 metres and 1st in 600 metres.

Gulabsingh Vasave: This is the youth who is said to have medals weighing about two kg. He won several athletics events at tournaments earlier, too. But since coming to Balewadi he has been more consistent in winning various events.

He won the 400 and 800 metres at the State Youth (under 18) Athletics Trials held in Pune in 2007; the 400 metres at two different State Junior Athletics Championships (held in Pune and Jalgaon); the 400 metres at the State School Athletics Championships.

Apart from this, he was 2nd in the 200 metres and the 4x100 metres events at the State School Athletics Championships in Ahmednagar.