CHENNAI: Sports, in these parts, is not merely played for amusement. It is a ticket to a better life — admission to colleges, entry to government jobs and a chance to stand equal among their more advantaged counterparts — even if it is just on the playfield. This is why the ‘Inter Slum Olympics’ in the Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board (TNSCB) resettlement site in Perumbakkam, opened to a rousing response.
The winners would be recommended by the TNSCB officials for free coaching in the sport they excel in, from the Sports Development Authority. While the programme jointly organised by TNSCB and the Chennai Rivers Restoration Trust deserves praise, the girls in the site may not have benefited from it.
Two days (Saturday and Sunday) of the three-day event had been reserved for boys while girls (from ages 15 to 30) were allowed to participate only on Monday, a week day. This meant that women would have to forego a day’s work to take part in the games, a costly choice for those struggling to run their families after being resettled to the fringes.
Men could enroll in games such as cricket, kabbadi, throwball, shot-put, javelin throw, chess, carrom and running. The list of games available to women were carrom, skipping, lemon-and-spoon, musical chair, throwball, shot-put and 100 mts running — at least three of which are not part of the 54 sports recognised by the government for sports quota. When asked, TNSCB officials said, “The men have to go to work today which was why we finished off most of the games by Sunday. Women would be able to participate because many are housewives and the children have holidays.”
Sivasubramani, the coach who was present all three days, said that the boys played exceedingly well in Kabbadi and cricket and the girls, in shot-put and carrom. “I didn’t go to work today to be able to play here. But a lot of other women I know, chose to go to work instead,” said Geetha B, who works as a domestic help in the apartments.
Geetha lost to 15-year-old Rathibharathi T, who was already a part of the divisional team. Her parents have never once asked her to give up playing although she will be in class 12 next year. “They believe carrom is my shot at success,” she said.