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On a fine summer Sunday, with my badminton racquet on my back, I was walking along with my sister to the court in our locality for a game. Walking on the street, I saw something I’d never been exposed to or taught before. There came a sudden thorn in my flesh when I saw kids younger than me walking on a rope, balancing their bodies on their palms, leaping through rings of fire, and a few other daring and dangerous feats. In my foolishness, I thought they were gymnasts or acrobats practising for a big meet. But when I saw people slowly dropping currency in the bowls kept by a side, a pall of gloom struck me. I rushed back home to bring my parents, only to find out that those sturdy performances were done for them to earn a living.
On a revisit, I noticed even stranger things. A girl half my age moved on a rope, from one end to the other, holding a bamboo pole in both hands stretched out. She then did something similar to the first act but with only the use of a big steel plate. The way she took the plate off her head, kept it under her feet, balancing on a rope at that height, was something I had never witnessed. Suddenly, there rose a fire and a few members of the group started walking barefoot. While some onlookers walked away after dropping some money, I just held my nerves and stayed on. To my astonishment, another small girl balanced her entire body on her right hand. A moment of beauty, certainly painful in reality.
Now arriving at a significant point, wouldn’t they be successful in reaching Olympian heights? I am sure they possess all the virtues of successful athletes. They own all the dexterity, but only the rich get all the training facilities, nutritious diets and much needed media attention. Well, certain things never seem to happen, and so these talents are left helpless at times. Lastly, I would request you all to set apart some of your money for them.
On a closing note, I’d like to say that there is no dearth of sporting and athletic talent in India. Just a spotlight and a searchlight can help bring them to the limelight.
