ERODE: Even as actor Vijay’s Bigil brings women’s sports to the fore, for 15 years two schools in Erode have been showing rural girls from poor background how sports can open up to them a world of opportunity. Take the Punjai Puliampatti Girls Higher Secondary School. It is a rural school in the Gobi block of Erode. Over the last 13 years, 143 of its students have participated in national hockey tournaments.
Not only has the school won the Chief Minister’s trophy for the past five years in a row, it has also secured second and fourth places in the south-zone level tournaments in 2011 and 2014 respectively. Similarly. St Sebastian high school is a government-aided school at Nagalur village in Gobi block. Most of the residents are brick kiln workers and child marriage is prevalent. Still, the school has won two silver and one bronze medals in national-level football tournaments. At State-level football tournaments, it has won three silver and two bronze medals. Neither of these schools have high-end equipment, turf or provide the girls fancy supplements. So how have they succeeded in producing so many national-level sportswomen? The credit goes to the coaches -- or rather the Physical Education Teachers (PET) — say the communities.
Credit to coaches
K Arulraju has worked as PET at Puliampatti school for 16 years. Passionate about hockey, he is determined to send players for the Indian team someday. “The students' families are so poor that even paying the minimal school fee is a burden. Their parents are daily-wage workers who can’t afford food supplements or hockey sticks. But , my students do not complain. With whatever resources available, they continuously strive to bring laurels to the school,” said Arulraju.
S Karunainathan, PET at St Sebastian’s, shares Arulraju’s passion, but for football. For 10 years now, he has been encouraging the girls to take up football and long-distance running and training them to shine. His students recount how he would spend his own money on training expenses and bring them eggs during practice.
“We have a lot of talented players in our village. But due to stereotypical notions and condition, girls are not liberated. If I identify a skillful player, I talk to her parents and make them understand that this sport will help them follow their passion but will also help them earn a livelihood,” he explained. Pointing to the example of Class 10 student, M Karthika, who has won three gold and one silver medals in State-level marathon running, Karunainathan said, “I work to develop talented sportspersons to my best efforts. I wish the many talents in rural India are identified and trained for Indian team camp selections.”
Indeed, lack of exposure and training is what he felt held his students back from shining at larger events. However, sports has changed the lives of at least some of the students for the better.
The route to higher education
For instance, as many as 23 students from the Puliampatti school get college admission under the sports quota every year. “My family was poor so they married my sister off after she finished Class 12. They could not afford to send her for higher education.
That’s when I decided to take sports seriously,” said Ammukutty, an alumna of the school. “My hard work paid off. After school, I got a college seat under sports quota and I was able to study further,” she said, adding that hockey had also made her mentally strong. Other students return to the school to help train their juniors, inspiring them as well. “I was inspired by my seniors who excelled in the game. They also guide us in performing better,” said Prathika, a Class 10 student.
Students of St Sebastian’s have experienced similar benefits. “My parents were against me playing soccer. They were worried about me wearing shorts. But Sir (Karunainathan) gave them the confidence and so they allowed me to play,” recalled S Sugana, a St Sebastian’s alumna who won best player award at an all-India football tournament. “After school, I pursued sports and today I’m a PET at a reputed private school in Coimbatore. Had it not been for my teacher’s support, I would not have been an independent woman,” she said. Other parents in her village have noticed how sports could be a route to free college education and the resistance has faded a bit.
M Arasamani, mother of a Class 10 student playing football at St Sebastian’s, said her daughter was able to pursue her higher studies only because of the PET’s support and her daughter’s determination.
Hearing of these girls’ achievements, Chief Educational Officer R Balamurali noted that both schools have done great work in building a strong sports community and appreciated the teachers. Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu general secretary M Renugalakshmi, noting the PET’s success, offered some advice.
“Schools should focus on building the players’ fitness as that is key to entering the Indian team. The coaches must update themselves to provide intensive training to students to face cutthroat competition and the communication skills of the players should be developed,” she suggested.