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#TeachersDay: Gurus who made Olympians shine
On Teacher’s Day, Olympians Mirabai Chanu, Ravi Kumar Dahiya, and Paralympian Yogesh Kathuniya Olympic talk about the bond they share with their coaches.
Indian sportspersons have been shining bright at the Tokyo Games. As they stood on the podium, of Olympics or Paralympics, to receive medals, it was the thought of their gurus that made them bow their head in reverence. Opening their hearts, three Olympians share about the guiding lights in their lives, who went beyond training them, to accompany their long and arduous battles in the journey to win laurels for the country.
Mirabai Chanu: Coach nahi, Papa jaise hain mere sath
For weightlifter Mirabai Chanu, her coach Vijay Sharma is her “best guru”. “Main 2014 se unke saath train kar rahi hun aur kaafi achcha change mila mujhe. Players aur coach mein waise doori hoti hai, par Vijay sir mere sath humesha mere Papa ke jaise rahe hain. Kabhi training kharab hoti hain ya competition mein kuch kharab hota hai toh papa ke jaise achhe se samjhate the ki aur bhi mehnat karni chahiye. Har cheez mein sir mujhe motivation dete hain. Sir mere coach nahi, Papa jaise hain mere sath,” says the Tokyo Olympic silver medallist.
The two appear to be quite casual with each other, but Sharma reveals, “Mere se Mira bahut kum mazaak karti hai. Pita aur putri wala relation hain humara. Aur coaches aur ke saath karte hain. Ulta main agar mazak kar raha hun toh chup ho jaate hain (laughs).”
Recalling the time when Chanu had approached him to train her, Sharma says, “2014 mein hum log Commonwealth Games ke liye gaye the. Tab main incharge men’s ka tha. Wahan se Mira ne merese baat ki. Mira aur kuch paanch ladkiya thi. Unhone kaha training karane ke liye khud apne aap. I started her training from 2014. Mira ki jerk ki technique bahut zyada kharab thi. Rio mein zabardast jhatka laga because technique nahin thi. Tab hum bahut acha lesson mila and technique pe kaam kiya. 2017 mein World Championship ka mauka mila and Mira shined! Uske baad peeche mud ke nahin dekha. Humne chhote chhote targets set kiye aur unpe kaam kiya, aur dheere dheere achieve karte chale gaye. 2018 ke baad Mira ke back mein problem aayi thi, and pura ek saal kharab hua us wajah se. Jitna yogdan mera hain usse zyada Mira ka hai. Bachha disciplined hain toh result achha hi aayega!”
Ravi Kumar Dahiya: Satpal ji ke gusse se bilkul bura nahi lagta
Wrestler Ravi Kumar Dahiya attributes the credit for all his achievements to his coach and “mentor” Mahabali Satpal. “Unhi ko guru mante hain hum, unhi ka diya sab kuchh hai. Jo bhi talent tha hum mein, uske aage unhi se seeka hai. Woh roz mehnat karwate hain; toh guru, teacher humare liye wohi hain,” says the Tokyo Olympic silver medallist from Haryana.
His guru’s wish is his command, and Dahiya is determined to make it come true! “Satpal ji ke guru ka sapna tha ki Olympics mein woh medal jeetein, par woh pura nai ho paya. Toh Satpal ji ka sapna tha ki hum bachche Olympics medal jeetein, jo Sushil Kumar ji ne jeet leeya tha. Unka target ab reh gaya hai ki desh ke leye gold jeetna hai. Woh yahi bolte hain ki jaa rahe ho toh yeh nai ki medal jeetna hai, medals hain bahut saare, gold jeetna hai! Yehi mere man mein bhi rehta hai humesha,” adds Dahiya, who doesn’t mind if his teacher loses temper on him. “Bahut bari hota hai (laughs). Abhi toh samjha dete hai par pehle toh gussa bhi ho jate the. Par unke gusse se bilkul bura nai lagta,” he says, adding, “Unse meri har match ke pehle baat hoti hai; baad mein zarurat nai padti. Woh humesha yehi kehte hain: Achha karna hai, achha karna hai, chahe kuch bhi ho, achha karna hai!”
A 16 time national champion and 1982 Asian Games gold medallist, Mahabali Satpal, recalls, “Ravi 11 saal ki umar mein aaya tha mere pass. Isko dekh kar mujhe laga yeh ladka champion bann sakta tha. God gifted talent tha Ravi ke andar”. As a teacher, there’s no moment bigger for him than when his students perform well. That’s exactly how Satpal feels about Ravi Kumar Dahiya, and says, “Isse behtareen student kya ho sakta hai jo desh ke liye medal laye... Ravi well disciplined hai. Humein training mein usko rokna padhta hai, woh roz mehnat karta hai. Uski aage badhne ki soch bahut zabardast hai!”
Yogesh Kathuniya: Jab guru saath ho toh kuchh bhi achieve kar sakte hain
Paralympian Yogesh Kathuniya says coach Naval Singh is his “guru for life”. A graduate in B Com (Hons) from Kirori Mal College, Delhi University, Kathuniya says, “Teachers bahut important hote hain. Unhke bina sahi disha nahin milti. Jab guru saath ho aur sahi disha dene lag jaye toh hum kuchh bhi achieve kar sakte hain. Main unhe 2019 mein mila tha JLN Stadium mein. Woh bahut ache nature ke hain, and tab se mujhe chhote bete ki tarah maante hain. Galti karta hun toh dante bhi nahin. Unhone aisa train kiya ki mai world level pe itna achha perform karoon,” says Kathuniya, who recently clinched a silver in men’s discus throw F56 for the best distance of 44.38m in his sixth and last attempt at Tokyo Paralympics. “40m cross karna bahut zyada mushkil ho jata hai kyunki sitting throw mein utna momentum nahin mil pata jitna standing throws mein milta hai. Sitting throw bahut hi techinical hota hai.”
A proud coach Naval Singh says he couldn’t ask for a more obedient student than Kathuniya. “Maine aur Yogesh ne raat ke do baje tak training kari hai Delhi mein... Maza tabhi aata hain jab khiladi lag ke chale. Yogesh bahut hi sincere hai, for practise. Usko kitne bhi baje kabhi bhi bula lo woh aayega... Apni diet aur training pe pura dhyan diya hai usne. Use ghoomne ka shauk nahi bas naye kapde aur joote ka shauk hain. Par training ke maamle mein itna pagal hain ki use bas jeetna hai...’Mujhe Olympic jeetna hai’ yehi bolta tha Yogesh. Usko gussa kaafi jaldi aata hai (laughs). Mujhe lagta nahin ki do saal mein maine kabhi isko danta hoga. Kabhi aise dantne ka mauka nahin aaya. Woh ek chhota bacha hain mere liye,” adds Singh.
