PATIALA: When Annu Rani intimated to her father Amarpal Singh, a small-time farmer from Bahadurpur in Meerut, about her wish to start getting training in javelin, he was a bit hesitant at first. Hailing from a small village, which had not warmed up to the idea of a girl taking up sports, he had several sleepless nights, before finally arriving at a favourable decision. But the condition was that he would let her train, but only under a coach whose antecedents were clean.
Amarpal had heard and read a lot about the bad things that prevail in sports. He didn't want to risk his daughter's life and his family's dignity. “Coaches ke kundli tak dekhna padega na (I had to check the past life of the coaches in order to be convinced). It's about my daughter's life,” Amarpal revealed after his daughter threw the spear 61.87m, bettering her own national record, at the Federation Cup Athletics Championship at NIS Patiala here on Sunday, a throw that earned her a World Championship berth.
Quarter-miler Nirmala Sheoran also qualified for the World Championship. The Haryana girl clocked 51.28s to earn a London ticket and in the process, also set Asia's leading time in 400m.
But the search had culminated when they came across armyman Kashinath Naik in 2011. Kashinath gave word to Annu's father that he would take care of her like a sister. “I had told him he can train Annu if he agrees to my conditions.
He had to make sure that she was safe. And then she wouldn't be allowed to go out of the campus unnecessarily. The coach readily agreed,” Amarpal, who had arrived in Patiala to watch his daughter in action, said.
Kashinath said the words of Amarpal always remained in his memory. “That's why I never allow her to go out unless needed. I bring her whatever she needs, and if she really needs to go, I send my wife to accompany her,” he said.
Annu is a bronze medal winner at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, and Kashinath has only been preparing her for the World Championship in August. She hasn't been home for the last one year.
“Can I take her home for one day?” Annu's father requested the coach, prompting his 24-year-old daughter to burst into laughter. “You should give it in writing,” she poked her father. Kashinath didn't reply.
But the junior girls that he trained were restless.
They wanted to take Annu alongside them to the coach's house, where paneer uthappam and masala dosa was awaiting them.
That was the promise of Kashinath's wife. That she would make the kids the delicacies if Annu makes the world cut. The athlete herself knew that this was a special day for her. “Tension is over, and relief is what I'm feeling,” she remarked about the feat.
Maybe she is now destined for the good part of the sport.
shan.as@newindianexpress.com
