Wearing torn T-shirts and slippers, youth showed inspiration in Fazilka Athletics Meet
Chandigarh/Fazilka: Punjabi resilience was on display as unaffordability and lack of proper running gear could not stop Fazilka youth from taking part in an athletics meet. Many of them turned up barefoot, in flip-flops, torn T-shirts and shoes to participate in the event organized by the Punjab Police to encourage youngsters to stay away from drugs on Thursday.
After sprinting to victory in various athletic events, some of them narrated moving tales of poverty. The event was held in the backwaters of the state that faces the stigma of drugs abuse.
At the tender age of 15, Jaspreet Kaur, who hails from Laatu Ka village near the International Border with Pakistan, said she was the only bread-earner of her family. Looking after her blind mother and father, who lost his legs to an ailment, Jaspreet has to sweat it out in fields and run errands to support two younger siblings. Nothing could stop her from competing when she learned that the winner of the 100m race would get a Rs 3,100 award. Though she won a consolation prize of Rs 500 only, it meant a lot to her. Moved by her plight, the Fazilka police have decided to sponsor her education.
The athletics meet was organized by the Fazilka police under its flagship program — Operation Nishchay. The programme’s objective is to encourage youth to take up sports and to keep them away from drugs. As many as 650 youngsters, far more than the organizers imagined, turned up to compete in various events that offered cash prizes to winners. Police officials led by SSP Pragya Jain had aimed to present the human face of the force through such an event, but they were moved by the life stories of some of the participants.
“I was overwhelmed and touched to see boys and girls in flip-flops, torn shoes and T-shirts. They had no running gear, but their enthusiasm was unmatched. They walked kilometers to reach the venue,” said the SSP. She said the event was organized for 650 participants, but nearly 2,000 youth turned up.
DGP Gaurav Yadav said Punjab has so much talent and international role models like Harmanpreet Kaur, Arshdeep Singh and other players, but sadly the state was infamous for drug abuse. “Punjab has so much of talent, but it is untapped. We have decided to help these youth find a niche for themselves. We will not let this talent go waste,” he said.
Barely eight years old, Saajiya Kamboj summed up the spirit of the day when she competed against players double her age and reached the finals where she won a consolation prize. When asked by SSP Jain about her plans, Saajiya said she hoped to take part in Olympics one day and win a gold medal in it.
Some men between the age of 25 and 30 also participated. One of them from Asaf Wala village walked about five kilometers in flip-flops to reach the venue and won a medal in shot put. The police gave certificates of appreciation, a T-shirt and a sapling to participants.
