But for a square-shaped wooden board, Ilavazhaki’s life would have been totally devoid of hope. She was six when she first tried a hand at carrom. This was not surprising, because the game is an integral part of life in the slums. Often, a carrom board is the only entertainment slum-dwellers can afford. Many of India’s greatest carrom players are from the slums.

Watching his eldest daughter play, Irudhayaraj, a competitive carrom player himself, realised early that his family had an exceptionally talented child. Driven by ambition to make Ilavazhaki famous, he found the energy to train her everyday, after spending tiresome hours on the road.

Dad’s determination

His efforts were not in vain. Winning the junior nationals thrice, Ilavazhaki was well on track for the kind of glory that he wished for her. And she kept his hope alive after graduating to the women’s category, winning three golds in the Asian championship in 2005 and picking up another three in the SAARC championship, held the same year. The moment daughter and father were waiting for arrived in 2006. After striking it rich again in the SAARC championship, she won the World Championship in New Delhi.

Until this victory, Ilavazhaki was in the shade. Winning the world championship made her known beyond the small circle of players and followers, which is the world of carrom. Recognition of her talent did little to change the condition she and her family lived in. Her family still struggled due to the lack of any substantial income. Ilavazhaki has a form of hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating), induced by her anxieties about her family. To her credit, she crafted some of her brilliant victories despite being handicapped by sweaty palms.

The tide turned in the early part of this year. Days before she left for Cannes to compete in the Fifth World Carrom Championship, she was offered a job as sports secretary by the Sri Ramanujar Engineering College (Vandalur), known for its interest in improving the lot of brilliant sport persons battling difficult financial situations.

After Cannes, which saw her crowned world champion for the second time, life has not been the same. Her position as sports secretary in the college meant she could be a student again. To help her make up for the lost years, she is being trained how to use a computer and speak English. She has also joined a meditation programme to help her deal with the psychological problem that makes her palms sweat. The college management is willing to give her father a job as a driver, provided he gets a licence. Having enrolled for driving lessons, the fish-cart puller is working towards it. A seat, in a polytechnic or an engineering course, is reserved for one of her sisters, Sevanthi, who is in class X.

Suddenly, everything seems to be falling in Ilavazhaki’s lap. Following her Cannes victory, the Tamil Nadu Government gave her a cash prize of Rs. 10 lakh. A few companies are keen to have her as their brand ambassador. The All India Carrom Federation is campaigning for an Arjuna Award for Ilavazhaki. If she gets it, she will become the first woman carrom player to be thus honoured. And, what’s more, it will be the perfect culmination for a fairytale.

http://www.hindu.com/mp/2008/06/23/stories/2008062350980100.htm

Yet, Bindra did not even exult when the moment arrived. For him, it seemed a ritual. But it was an unprecedented happening in a country where champions are a rare product; virtually non-existent when it comes to Olympic glory. India’s cricket icon Rahul Dravid lavishly acknowledged Bindra’s cool demeanour. “Phenomenal,” Dravid gushed even as Bindra blushed!

Shooting was not Bindra’s first choice. He attempted golf and then tennis. Having failed at both, he pursued shooting, and progressed at a rapid pace to reach the pinnacle of every sportsman’s dream. He has carried the sport of shooting from the realm of the rich to the masses. He has given sporting hope and dignity a new meaning by ‘shooting’ his way to stardom and greatness at mere 26.

Hated sports

Any fond memories of childhood? “The first 11 years of my life I just hated sports. I never watched and never played sports in schools. My parents always encouraged me to play sports though.” At the boarding school, Bindra received a letter from his affluent father every second day. “Never mind if you don’t study but play sports,” was one sentence that was common.

Shooting now is a “way of life” for the suave Bindra. He agrees, “For the common man, it is a sport hard to understand.” Even the world body is struggling to make it spectator friendly but the finals, it must be admitted, are always exciting because of the intense competition.

Bindra smiles when you ask him if sport is only about winning? “You can’t win all the time. For me personally what is important is how I perform. The pressure is maximum but I test myself and see how far I can stretch myself. One has to keep challenging oneself. There is always room for bettering yourself and your performances. Your goal has to be result-oriented and that’s why winning a medal is very important.”

What separates a champion from the rest? “I think it is the ability to keep testing yourself and hang in there a bit more.” That is what separates. It depends on the individual’s ability to try harder and to “survive those critical moments to face the pressure.” The nervousness, Bindra stresses, is not a comforting feeling and everyone wants to get rid of that feeling as early as possible. “I prepare very hard mentally and physically.”

For Bindra, an Olympic gold was always a dream. “We would come close and miss. The expectations were different.” True, there was a certain mystique attached to an Olympic gold medal in India. But he changed it. “When I started any colour mattered. Now it’s happened and with that I think the outlook has also changed. Now everyone wants a gold medal. It is not elusive anymore.”

High expectations

Expectations in India have always remained high. Bindra notes, “A sportsman has his own expectations. The external expectations don’t matter to a sportsman. He knows what to expect from himself. To me, values and perspective make a huge impact. Winning to me is not important but I hate losing.”

A toast of the nation, Bindra is very “proud” to be an Indian. “We are an emerging super power and a peace-loving community. Everybody likes us, our values, and our development in all spheres of life.”

Bindra loves the company of sportspersons. “They give me a lot of joy. I believe Indian sportspersons are an extremely talented group. They have extremely good work ethics.” But what concerns him is the lack of proper planning. “To compete against the best in the world we need to have a clear plan in place, a clear objective, clear goal. Other nations are developing at a fast pace and are far ahead of us in every aspect.”

Having travelled far and wide, Bindra has a few suggestions to offer to improve the state of sports in India. “Infrastructure is the key. Commonwealth Games is a fine opportunity to build a sports culture in the country and generate interest in sports outside cricket but I don’t necessarily believe in hosting these major events. I would rather spend the money and build infrastructure in smaller places all across India. More and more people should have access to facilities,” concludes Bindra, an epitome of humility.

VIJAY LOKAPALLY

http://www.hindu.com/mp/2008/12/06/stories/2008120651841300.htm