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Berlin Bound: Ludhiana footballers score Special Summer Olympics spots
Jyoti made the cut at the trials held in Patiala, and attended coaching sessions later; Jatinder has been playing football for the last seven years
Trips outside the district have come far and few between for Manjit Kaur, a daily wage labourer from the Rabbo Uchi village in Payal. It is understandable then that the news of her daughter making the cut for the Special Olympics World Summer Games was life-changing.
Jyoti Kaur, her daughter who has an intellectual disability, is one of two students who will represent the country at the Special Olympics — scheduled to be held in Berlin next month.
The youngster will be accompanied by Jatinder Singh to the German capital. Both players made the cut for the national football team set to represent the country at the mega sporting event.
A Class 12 student at Government Senior Secondary School, Uksi, Kaur has two sisters and a brother. Both her parents work as a labourer to sustain the family.
Prior to Covid-induced lockdown, Kaur would participate in the 100-m and 50-m track events and took up football during the period. She was selected during the trials held at Patiala, following which she attended coaching sessions in various parts of the country including at Bokaro, Odisha.
“Nobody from our family had thought about getting a passport as we had not dreamt to travel on a plane ever,” her proud, beaming with pride, said.
Jatinder’s father, Gurdev, who accompanied his 19-year-old son to practise sessions as early as 5 am, said the thought of his son being in any way inferior to other children had never crossed his mind.
The family’s efforts bore fruit when his son was selected for a sporting competition for disabled sportspersons.
Jatinder, a Class 11 student at GSSS, Rauni, has been playing football for the last seven years. Besides the sport, he is also an avid fan of bhangra.
His father, who works as a truck mechanic, said nobody from his family ever had the luxury to travel abroad, adding, “I am hopeful he will get the opportunity to represent India at other international tournaments.”
Both students will be honoured, along with their teachers, and coaches, by the district education department at a May 1 event.
