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‘PADHAI SECONDARY HAI’, WHEN YOUR CHILD IS A CWG MEDALLIST!

Riya.Sharma@timesgroup.com and Abhimanyu.Mathur@timesgroup.com

Can you name the last three class XII CBSE board toppers? Maybe not. But do you know who Manika Batra, Anish Bhanwala and Manu Bhaker are? They did not score 90 per cent in their school exams, but they are household names in India right now. These youngsters, who have won laurels for the country at the Commonwealth Games, have shown us that they can become achievers without having to prove themselves academically. And the best thing — their parents are not pressurising them about studies and have accepted the fact that if sports are what they love, studies can take a backseat.

MANAGING STUDIES AND SPORTS: THE BALANCING ACT  

There is no dearth of conflict between academics and sports, especially in India. Many young national or international sportspersons have struggled to balance their sporting careers and studies. Fifteen-year-old Anish Bhanwala created history by becoming India’s youngest Commonwealth Games gold medallist when he won the men’s 25m rapid fire pistol event at the Gold Coast games. But barely a day after he landed in India, Anish had to undertake another test — his class X Boards. 

The CBSE had rescheduled his test, as he was competing in the games at the time the exams were taking place across the country.

“I have to give my Class X exams just after landing in India in three subjects — Hindi, Social Studies and Maths. I am a little worried about Maths, I haven’t practised enough for that,” Anish was quoted as saying after his win. The 15-year-old added, “I am glad I could repay their (the CBSE’s) faith in me. It feels nice, they made a huge decision for me. I could deliver on that and I am very happy.”

However, former Under-19 Indian cricket captain Unmukt Chand wasn’t as lucky. In 2012, the then 19-year-old was not allowed by his college, St Stephen’s, to sit for the exams due to low attendance. 

“I could not attend classes in the second semester because of my Ranji commitments, but I managed to take time out for the exams. But when I went to take the admit card, I was not given the ticket because of low attendance,” he told us in September 2012. Eventually, Unmukt had to get a stay order from the Delhi HC and the DU Vice Chancellor had to intervene in order to allow batsman from Delhi to sit for the exams.

Given this atmosphere, sportspersons have often dropped out or switched colleges when it becomes impossible for them to maintain attendance due to their busy schedules. Table tennis sensation Manika Batra has emerged as the most successful Indian athlete at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, winning two golds, one silver and one bronze. She had to miss out on college life and academics. “I got through a college in Delhi, but I hardly ever attended college. I must have gone there once a month and then to sit for the exams. I had no time as I was always travelling and training. I even missed all the things like freshers’ parties and the fests. But honestly, I don’t mind missing out on them because I was playing and representing India internationally,” she told us last year. Eventually, Manika dropped out of college after a year and got enrolled in Delhi University’s School of Open Learning to complete her graduation. For many others, even if the college is accommodating and supportive with regards to attendance, it gets difficult for them to perform.

Cricketer Rishabh Pant, who is currently pursuing BA, said, “I should have been in my second year now but meri back aa gayi thi. There is no pressure from the college for attendance and I have been given the freedom to only appear for exams. But I am not free for exams also, woh bhi jab ho rahe thay tab Ranji khel raha tha. Graduation toh karni hi hai, koshish poori hai.”

PRESSURISING CHILDREN ABOUT STUDIES CAN BE COUNTER-PRODUCTIVE: PARENTS OF SPORTING CHAMPS

 

Quite refreshingly, the parents of many of these young achievers say they do not mind if their kids are putting sports over academics in their list of priorities. “Education paves the path for children to achieve success in life. Par agar bachche khel se hi success laa rahe hain, toh uspe hi focus karo. Meri ladkiyon ne khel ko padhai se upar rakha aur aaj dekho, duniya mein chha rahi hain,” sums up Mahavir Singh Phogat, all four of whose daughters are international wrestlers (as are his two nieces).

Parents say that pressurising kids for studies can be counter-productive as that only demoralises them. Divya Kakran is another young achiever from the Indian contingent in Gold Coast. The 19-year-old won bronze in women’s freestyle wrestling (68 kg). Her father Suraj Kakran tells us, “If you pressurise kids, they won’t be able to do anything. Bachchon se kaam unki khushi ke hisaab se karana padta hai. My daughter was winning Nationals as a teenager. Her studies suffered but I knew she was doing her best. I never told her to do more there.”

For an average parent, success might mean their kids scoring 90 per cent in their Board exams. But for the parents of India’s young sports champs, success is determined by what they do out on the field (or the mat). Pankaj Mavi, father of Under-19 cricketer Shivam, says, “The last time I asked him to study was in class III or IV. Uske baad se mujhe laga jab woh khud manage kar raha hai, why should I pressurise him? He found that balance but kept sports first and I had no problem with that. He chose a college (Shivam is pursuing BBA from a private university in Faridabad) based on the fact that they are not strict about attendance. Bas exam dene jaata hai. Aur humein toh achha lagta hai ki woh India ke liye khel raha hai, team mein hai. Padhai secondary hai.” 

Source: https://epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/#