Nurturing Rural Sports Talent

Nurturing Rural Sports Talent 

It has been a common observation of the workers in the tribal areas that people in these areas have tremendous sports talent. However, they do not have the opportunity to become skilled sportspersons. The objective of QUEST’s initiative is to identify talented students from tribal area and nurture talent in sports by providing appropriate training and facilities.

At present this programme is being conducted in 4 Ashram Schools in Nandurbar. Forty students of Grades 7 and 8 have been selected by sports experts through battery tests. The experts give inputs in basic athletics during a 2-day workshop every month. A teacher selected by each school has been assigned the responsibility of conducting follow-up practice sessions. Supervisors from QUEST also monitor the programme between training workshops.

Each school has been provided with a basic set of equipments and each student has been given a sports kit. The team of trainers will also provide information of various sports meets to the schools and will try to increase the representation of tribal population at the state level meets.

Achievements

At the district level marathon competition held in Nandurbar in February this year, 3 girls from the school at Talavadi grabbed the first three spots! Their names are as follows:

First - Neeta Kakdya Valavee

Second – Shinda Kakdya Paradake

Third – Jija Kakdya Paradake

For the state level kho-kho competition held at Panvel, 4 students from the sports camp were selected to represent Nashik region:

Boys – Saisingh Kakdya Paradake (Talavadi) and Shantilal Bijya Rahase (Kochra)

Girls – Neeta Mogya Valavee and Jija Kakdya Paradake (Talavadi)