The WDSF Breaking for Gold World Series Brazil, this month's only event with qualification points on offer for the 2024 Paris Olympics where breakdancing will make its debut, begins on Friday in Rio de Janeiro.
However, most of India's top breakers will not be there due to—to put it simply—want of resources.
As the qualifying path for the Paris Games picks up speed this year, all top breakers from the country are out on their own in their once-in-a-lifetime shot
The WDSF Breaking for Gold World Series Brazil, this month's only event with qualification points on offer for the 2024 Paris Olympics where breakdancing will make its debut, begins on Friday in Rio de Janeiro.
However, most of India's top breakers will not be there due to—to put it simply—want of resources.
As the qualifying path for the Paris Games picks up speed this year, all top breakers from the country are out on their own in their once-in-a-lifetime shot at being at an Olympics. Without financial or other forms of assistance, Indian breakers have been left to fund their own trips for these events, compelling them to pick and choose their battles rather than enter them all.
For the World Series in Kitakyushu, Japan, held in February, Johanna Rodrigues (B-Girl Jo) shelled out ₹2.4 lakh digging from her savings and personal sponsorship money. Rodrigues was the top Indian among the six who travelled there, each on their own expense.
"The situation is extremely challenging," Rodrigues said. "Apart from the funding, we also have to do the top-to-bottom research on each event, including the basics like visas, etc. Right from understanding how many events we should go for to how we should plan our schedule, we're on our own completely."
The OQS list is one of the four routes to Paris in breakdancing’s qualification system; the others are through direct berths from the World Championships in September, continental quotas (for Indians, that will be the Asian Championship in July) and universality quotas. Breakers collect points from this year's various qualifying events and are ranked accordingly in the OQS list. Rodrigues is currently joint 98th in it while the top Indian b-boy is Arif Chaudhary at joint 106th. Both Rodrigues, who finished 50th, and Chaudhary (59th) earned 100 points from the Japan event.
Chaudhary, rising from Mumbai’s underground scene to be among India’s most accomplished professional breakers as B-Boy Flying Machine, too can't afford to go to Rio. He is saving up to compete in France next month for what would be his second qualifying event. "I hope to compete in 4-5 events, which is really not enough. But I don't have resources to attend every event; I’m not rich enough to fly out seven times a year," Chaudhary said.
The more events a breaker competes in, the more points are accumulated. It, therefore, makes it a rather uneven playing field for the support-starved Indian breakers compared to other breakers from nations with a more structured setup who can, according to Chaudhary and Rodrigues, turn up at almost double the number of events. On an average, it would cost Rs2-2.5 lakh per event for an Indian breaker to travel for these competitions.
"I know a breaker from Germany, and all she has to do is email her federation her plan and tournament schedule, and it's all taken care of," Rodrigues said.
Federation awaits word, affiliation
India's federation, known as the Breakdance Federation of India (BFI), is an associate member of the All India DanceSport Federation but is yet to get affiliated with the Indian Olympic Association (IOA). Biswajit Mohanty, the federation's secretary, said they have submitted letters to the sports ministry apprising it about breakdancing's Olympic status and are waiting to hear back.
“For us, the IOA affiliation is a must, because otherwise we won't get government funds," Mohanty said. “We're struggling to get funds on our own, running after sponsors. It’s a new sport, the BFI is a new federation, and a lot of people are still not aware about breaking as a sport and that it’s part of the Olympics.”
The federation organises an annual national championship, which, the secretary said, will form the basis of selection for the Asian Games later this year. Mohanty said they will seek a meeting with ministry officials again later this month, because “time is running out" in the Olympic qualification race.
Chaudhary hopes the ministry steps in soon, and that there’s some sort of help coming their way. “Our national body is not really aware of what is happening. I hope the sports ministry can pay attention to breaking. I would want some support to reach as many events as possible.”
“Ideally, there could be a system where the top four men and women breakers can be funded,” Rodrigues said.
'Would like a fair shot at being there'
Until then, India's breakers will continue to be out on their own, chasing their Olympic dream sans funding, top-level training and a professional structure. It’s a situation they’ve become used to.
Growing up in Mumbai's western suburb of Jogeshwari, Chaudhary got hooked to breaking since his school days. Right from back then, he would take up small-time jobs—being a tailor’s help, background dancer in films—to fund his travel for breaking jams.
“Breaking is the only thing we do,” Chaudhary said. “Giving a shot at being at the Olympics like this, it’s very difficult, perhaps close to impossible. But all we can do is try.”
Rodrigues runs a yoga and breaking studio in Bengaluru, but has put her administrative and teaching hat on hold, for now, to focus on her breaking. She said she would rather bank her money for events later this year in which she is “better prepared and trained” to collect maximum points.
“That's more pressure and more stressful. But it is what it is," she said. “Ideally, I would've really liked to have a fair shot at this, at just trying to get there.”
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