When you have a full-fledged sports academy close by would it not make sense to try and reap the benefits from this facility? This is what perhaps struck Mr Tarun Ghai, a Trustee of the Sir Mct Muthiah Chettiar Higher Secondary school, an aided institution that caters to the children from middle and lower middle-class sections of society.
The school is just a stone's throw away from the Indian Squash Academy (ISA) and the thought that struck Mr Ghai and members of the Trust was why not introduce squash in the school and help spot talents who could rise up the ladder in sports too?
Coincidentally, this was also the vision of Mr N. Ramachandran, the Patron of the Squash Rackets Federation of India and the man behind the formation of the ISA. He declared that if the ISA could provide opportunities for the lesser fortunate sections of society then he was fully for it.
These are days, Mr Ghai said, when studies alone would barely be a guarantee for a successful and secure life ahead. Competition is high and there is more and more focus on extra-curricular activities.
“I mean just see the situation where cut-off marks for most sought after streams of education is something close to 100 percent. How many can make it?” he asked with genuine concern. “I am as concerned about the students as my own daughter for the future. ‘How can we help?’ was the thought,” he said, revealing how the idea of involving the ISA to popularise the sport in his school took prominence.
Mr Ghai stated that the school had been taking note of the growing activities in the ISA and how effectively it was grooming talents in a sport that had not just become visible but was slowly attracting corporates.
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“We have been reading the strides India has been making in the sport and the key role ISA was doing in this regard with its structured training programme,” he said.
A meeting with National Coach, Cyrus Poncha, set the ball rolling. “Mr Poncha and the development officer Harish Prasad took the lead in getting this organised and this was a big hit in the school. Our interest was to expose the sport to the 120 students in the sixth standard, considering they have years before them before studies tied them down and by then our reading was they could make some mark in squash too.
“This proved a great hit with many children taking turns to get onto the court,” he said. An arrangement has been worked out wherein after selection, 18 students are now getting regular training every week in the Academy and the dream is that a handful of them will rise up to national ranking.
Meanwhile, the big difference that Mr Ghai said he had seen already was that the most interested amongst the lot had already begun to talk of the champions in the sport and the leading players in India.
He said it would be the school's ultimate goal that its students would one day play for the country and establish a solid link with the sport. “We would love to hear our students’ success in the sport in the long run,” he said. Ultimately the aim was to give the young boys and girls added opportunities aside from studies.
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An alumnus of the well known St Stephen's college in New Delhi, Mr Ghai appears totally devoted to the welfare of the students and their career. “As I said earlier, I am into this so seriously because there is a future I need to dream of for my daughter also.
“You may call me selfish. But my agenda is bigger, for it for the future of all the students in the school,” he hastened to add.
Moreover, he realised there was a future for squash too which he felt was rising fast. “Yes we are looking ahead,” he said.
Of immediate interest to him is the Asian Championship to be held at the Academy in April. “I am looking forward to having all my wards watching and soaking in the atmosphere of the Championship. Surely it should be inspiring,” said Mr Ghai signing off.
