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Pune coach Khaladkar’s determination to fight keeps him connected with sports
Accident that left Sagar Khaladkar wheelchair bound did not stop him from coaching, inspiring others
When you are passing by the areas of Paud road, Kothrud in the evening you might hear the murmurs of kids saying ‘Appa must be on the ground let’s reach fast’.
Walk a bit further and you can see a coach on wheelchair giving kabaddi coaching lessons at Bharti Vidaypeeth, law college ground.
The person is Sagar Khaladkar – nickname ‘Appa’ who met with an accident in 2013. In the accident, Khaladkar’s spinal cord got damaged which made him dependent on the wheelchair.
“People around the Kothrud know me as ‘Appa’ since I became part of Bharti Vidyapeeth. I took seven months to heal back from the accident.
“To get back on the ground was something that was always on my mind. In this tough time I got good support of Bharti Vidyapeeth because of whom I am able to continue my coaching,” said Khaladkar, former state kabaddi, 1998-2006.
Khaladkar joined Bharti Vidyapeeth as physical education coach in 2006.
“I didn’t have a strong financial background in 2006 and I knew how hard it was for players to get training facilities, so providing free training to kids and youngsters was on my mind from the very beginning.
A second thought which motivated me was that since the Kothrud area didn’t have any ground for practice it had become difficult for players get training and they had to travel a long way to Baburao Sanas Ground at Swargate for practice.”
“In 2006 our organisation Abhijeet Dada Kadam Mitra Mandal, Pratisthan (Bharti Vidyapeeth-based run organisation) came out with first kabaddi team -- Abhijeet Dada Kadam Kabaddi Sangh and it started our journey of coaching and practice at Bharti Vidyapeeth law college ground. We started with four players and today we have 40 players in the team,” added 33-year old Khaladkar.
The coaching is free to all and interested youngsters were allowed to come and train from 5:30 pm to 10 pm every day.
Once players started coming to practice, getting them a job was also one important issue which Khaladkar took seriously.
“We started providing them library facilities and also coaching for Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) and Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). It was an added advantage for players who via sports quota wished to get a job. Eight of our players got a job in the state police force and three others are serving in the Indian army,” added Khaladkar.
“I was tensed when I met the accident and thoughts of what will happen to my kabaddi team worried me, but with the support of senior kabaddi players -- Ajay Hulawle, Shakhir Shaikh and Ganesh Marne of Abhijeet Dada Kadam Kabaddi Sangh things on the ground remained normal even in my absence,” added Khaladkar.
The urge of doing something more for players always kept, Khaladkar busy in drawing ideas.
“The thought was to provide free sports teaching to all. So we started Dr Patangrao Kadam Kabaddi team for women in 2018 and training for kids in kabaddi as well as athletics,” said Khaladkar.
There are 20 girls training in women’s kabaddi team and a total of 80 youngsters from the areas of Kelewadi, Hanumannagar, Sutardhara, Jai Bhavaninagar, Karvenagar and Warje Malwadi for training at Bharti Vidyapeeth.
Vision for Future
Abhijeet Dada Kadam Mitra Mandal, Pratisthan is now all set to open Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj National Sports University.
“We want to establish a sports university and it is something on which we are focusing more now,” added Khaladkar.
