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What's the story?
Slum-dweller Nisar Ahmed is all set to embark on a life changing journey. The boy from Delhi is one of the 14 athletes who have been chosen to train at the Racers Track Club in Kingston, Jamaica. Kingston is the hometown of veteran sprinter, Usain Bolt.
This is world's most famous track and field club and it is a dream come true for the 16-year-old and the other athletes to get this opportunity. This initiative is backed by Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) and sports management company, Anglian Medal Hunt. The program will last for four weeks and the athletes will train under the aegis of Glen Mills, Usain Bolt's coach.
In case you didn't know...
Earlier in 2017, Nisar broke the under-16 record for the 100 meters category. The sprinter clocked in at 10.85 seconds.
Heart of the Matter
Nisar is a budding racer who lives in the Bada Bagh slums near Azadpur, Delhi. He has shown tremendous potential in racing. His father is a rickshaw puller and mother is a house maid.
Nisar has broken two under-16 records in 100m and 200m categories. The teenager is however living in acute poverty, his family can manage a meagre ?5000 per month. His family can barely put food on the table whereas Nisar requires a protein rich diet to help him recuperate after training.
What's next?
The initiative by GAIL is an encouraging one and gives hope to racers who have limited scope to get proper exposure. It remains to be seen whether the government comes forward to sponsor such training camps more often or not.
Author's take
The exposure that the budding athletes will get from programmes like these is invaluable. Nisar and co. must make the most of the four weeks they will be spending in Jamaica. The sports ministry needs to increase the frequency of such events and ensure that these facilities are accessible to athletes from all backgrounds.
