A Small farmer with a big heart

By Vijay Sabharwal

Kurukshetra--- In the last few years, Haryana wrestlers have won many laurels for India and made the country proud with their stupendous performance in the international arena. Although the government heaps exorbitant rewards on its achiever sports persons when they win medals in the international games and tournaments, the lack of proper infrastructure and less-than-adequate facilities at the grassroots level poses the biggest challenge to this sport. Bhim Sports Academy at Goripur Kalyana near Shahbad in district Kurukshetra is a brave attempt, by the humble villagers, to train and promote local young talent in wrestling and gymnastics for future.  

The academy is the brainchild of 40-year-old farmer and former wrestler Naib Singh alias Maadi. Besides cultivating his 2.4 acres of agricultural land, Naib Singh had participated in various dangals and made a name for himself in the traditional Indian wrestling. But he quit wrestling a few years ago when he fell seriously ill. He went to a spiritual ‘dera’ at Hansali near Sirhind in Punjab, where Baba Ajit Singh Hansali helped him recover. Grateful Naib Singh when asked what he could do for the dera to return the favour, Baba Ajit Singh prompted him to devote his time and energy in coaching the youths in wrestling. But Naib Singh expressed his doubts citing financial constraint as a potent hurdle. To this, Baba responded by saying that once he would start, someone would come to support him financially.

Reassured Naib Singh, thus, earmarked 2 kanal, out of his small piece of land, for establishing an Indian style earthen Akhada. Impressed by his dedication Amar Raj Singh, a progressive farmer of the village, came to Naib Singh's aid. Amar Raj Singh, who happened to be an amateurish painter, decided to hold an exhibition of all the paintings that he had made all through his life, at Chandigarh, and donate all the money thus raised to develop the Akhada on modern lines.

A considerable sum of Rs 3 Lakh was raised at the exhibition, which turned out to be the seed money for setting up Bhim Sports Academy. A small building was erected, and registration of the academy took place. Both Naib and Amar Raj began motivating the villagers to send their children to the academy for training.

Soon many adolescents started visiting the Academy. Amar Raj soon launched a gym too, in the Academy. Within a span of less than a year, the Academy has produced wrestlers winning 5 gold and 6 silver medals at the district level championship. The Academy currently has about 30 members in the age group of 7 to 12 years undergoing training, on its roll. While Naib Singh takes care of the wrestling part, Amar Raj Singh, now President of the Academy, takes care of all the other aspects of the training. The trainees have to show to Amar Raj, the daily record of their diet and sanitation in their homes and village with the help of their family members.

Amar Raj proudly says that his academy has a very sound infrastructure, furnished with modern gym equipment for training the youths, and that in future, it would produce wrestlers of international level, as an academy at Shahbad had produced female International level Hockey players in the past. He hopes that his efforts would motivate others also, to start sports and training activities in their villages. 

Mandeep Singh, a government coach from Ambala is now helping in training the adolescents. Martyr Day was celebrated by the villagers recently by organising open wrestling championship. Present in-charge of Hansali ‘Dera’, Baba Paramjit Singh was the chief guest who blessed the participants. Surprisingly, 7-year-old Manvir Singh Gill won the sub-junior championship.
http://epaper.tribuneindia.com/1608333/Haryana-Tribune/HR-07-April-2018#page/3/2