CHENNAI: Hailing from the fishing community, he always has a liking for water. But little did Eklavya Batham know that he will be representing India within four years of taking up sailing. At 12 years and nine months, the Bhopal sailor may also be one of the youngest from the country in recent times to compete in an international event. He along with four sailors was selected for the Optimist World Championship scheduled in Riva del Garda, Italy, on the basis of their national rankings.
They flew for Italy on Sunday night. They reached Paris on Monday evening and were scheduled to board a flight for Italy at the time of going to press.
"We belong to the fishing community so that liking for water was always there. In 2017, Eklayva got enrolled in a summer camp organised by the Directorate of Sports, Madhya Pradesh. He was eventually selected for a day-boarding training at the National Sailing School (NSS)," Sanjay Batham, Eklavya's father, told this daily.
Sanjay himself was a state-level swimmer before joining the state fisheries department as an accountant. His eldest son, Aman, also pursued sailing before venturing into the business of fishing.
Interestingly, Eklavya, who studies in class VIII, learnt swimming only after getting selected for the training. "He knew the basics of swimming but we made him learn it professionally after he was selected by the NSS," his father added.
GL Yadav, chief coach of NSS, attributed Eklavya's commitment to his success in such a short span of time. "He never made us push him hard as he has that dedication and commitment towards sailing. He is far mature than his age. Hopefully, he continues with the same devotion," said Yadav.
But it was not easy for the parents to allow a boy as young as eight to train at the Upper Lake where the NSS is headquartered. "The fear was there. His mother Shailaja was apprehensive initially. I used to stay at the Upper Lake for almost three hours every day till he completes training in the beginning. But now all those fears have given way to assurance," said Sanjay.
Given the situation due to the Covid-19 pandemic, international travel is not easy but Sanjay is not worried. Instead, he is eagerly waiting for his son to make a big splash in Garda lake laying a strong foundation for a bright future in sailing.