Gymnasts' street act helps to garner support for training
Kolkata: Minister of state for Sports Laxmi Ratan Shukla said on Wednesday that he would ensure that the two slum children from Garden Reach, who shot to fame after a video featuring their gymnastic feats went viral on social media, are not compelled to stop their training midway due to paucity of funds.
The picture of the two kids Jashika Khan and Mohammad Azajuddin performing a combination of cartwheels and somersaults on their return from school had gone viral in social media following which Shukla called the two children at Khudiram Anushilan Kendra on Wednesday and made them perform before noted gymnast from Bengal Tumpa Debnath, who had made the state proud at the national level.
"I have asked Tumpa to provide them the necessary guidance so that the talent in them can be nurtured in the best possible manner. I am hopeful that proper guidance will help them make big in the national arena in the days to come," Shukla said.
He added that there are similar talents like the duo in and around the state and the department is committed to ensure that not a single of them are forced by circumstances to stop their training midway.
"There is no doubt that the two are extremely talented . But I feel that their age is a little on the higher side when it comes to gymnastics. But if they are determined and can work hard then age will not be a barrier to their success," said Tumpa.
Laxmi who had been a member of the former India cricket team and had played for Bengal cricket team and IPL runs an academy at his constituency in North Howrah where free coaching in athletics and cricket is offered to those from needy families.
" I have been learning dance from Shekhar Rao for the past one year. My fitness developed because of Sir," said Jashika a Class-VII student of Sanghamitra Vidayalaya in Garden Reach.
A resident of Hyde Road in Garden Reach her father Taj Khan is a driver while her mother Reshma Khatun works at a tailoring shop.
"We would not have got this platform without sir's support. He has found us from our homes at a time when we had no idea what this was about… he has also given money to buy medicines when my mother was taken ill," said Mohammad Azajuddin, who is a student of class VIII of the same school as Jashika. Azajuddin's parents works in a tea godown.
Their dance trainer Shekhar Rao had picked these children to give them something that he missed while growing up. Rao had no formal training till he was 20 and after that he started coaching these children and now takes his crew of 60 to various dance reality shows on national television. " I teach them free of cost because I know they will not be able to afford the training," Rao said.
The two kids' somersault had made Romanian retired gymnast and a five-time Olympic gold medalist, Nadia Comaneci sit up in another part of the world and tweet about them "This is awesome. "
