This all-round national gymnastics champion isn't afraid of dreaming big. He dreams of becoming the first Indian to win a gymnastics medal at the Olympic Games gymnastics competition. Ujwal Chandrasekhar Naidu is the one we are talking about.
Son of a five-time national gymnastics champion and India coach, Chandrasekhar, Ujwal and his brother Uday have taken to gymnastics like ducks to water. And not surprisingly too. In the recent junior nationals, Ujwal won the gold in the all-round category while Uday bagged the bronze in the under-10 section.
Ujwal has won the gold at many Dasara meets and state championships even with seniors in the competition. The 13-year-old is addicted to the sport and is a superb all-round performer but the floor exercise is his favourite. He is adept at other apparatus as well. Be it pommel horse, vaulting horse, the rings, parallel bars or the high bars, Ujwal is at his best doing some very difficult and intricate routines.
How did he take to gymnastics? "By birth," he proclaims loudly in trying to say that it is in his blood.Â
The Gnanabodhini School 8th standard student took to gymnastics in 2004 and has never looked back. His aim is to do well internationally and be at the Olympics, 2016 or surely 2020.
"I practice with my father, who is my coach as well, for three hours. Manju sir guides me also at the Vidyapeetha Centre. I work for about three hours every day. I work two apparatus every day. Floor and pommel on Monday, vaulting and rings on Tuesday and parallel bars and high bar on Wednesday. The same is repeated in the week and that is how I practise," said Ujwal.
"Yes, Ujwal is very talented. No just because he is my son, his performances speak for him. At a young age, he has done better than many seniors. With better training and exposure, Ujwal can become a very good gymnast. He has all the qualities. More importantly, he loves gymnastics," said his father Chandrasekhar, a former champion and India coach as well.
"He did very well at the last nationals to win the gold. We are trying to see if he can make the team for the 2016 Olympics. If not then I think in 2020, he will surely be there. As I said, he needs more support," added Chandrasekhar.
Perhaps, Olympic Gold Quest could take Ujwal under their care and help him to achieve something that no Indian has achieved so far. There will surely be no lack of effort on the part of Ujwal.