THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Sreelekshmi BS is on a roll these days. The national-level Roll Ball player is the only Malayali player who will be representing the country in the World Cup to be held in Chennai from November 15. And what makes the young girl ecstatic is that she is just a few days away from realising her dream. “I have always dreamt of playing for India in the World Cup,” she said.
The Thiruvananthapuram-native is no rookie to the game. Apart from captaining the Kerala University roll ball team which had obtained the fourth position in the roll ball University nationals held in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, last year, she has also participated in seven national roll ball tournaments in the mini, sub junior, junior and senior levels.
Her first national tournament was in 2010 in Puduchery. She first tasted her biggest victory in 2015 when she managed to secure a gold in a national level tournament. Ever since, there has been no looking back for her. She was immediately selected to play in the School Games Federation under the Indian Roll Ball tourney, in Belgaum, Karnataka, the same year.
Sreelekshmi had learnt the game when she was enrolled by her parents at Kidsland Rollersports Academy in Poojapura under coach A Nazar. “I used to always watch skating on TV. My parents were also very encouraging and asked me to pursue the game,’’ said Sreelekshmi.
She credits her success, especially to her father, an ex-army official who passed away, a month ago. “I’m dedicating my victories to my father,” she said.
A second-year Degree student at the National College of Arts and Science, Sreelekshmi is also passionate about cricket and athletics. She has played in the district-level cricket competitions organised by the Kerala Cricket Association.
The roll ball players who are participating in the Roll Ball World Cup will undergo a national camp in Dindigul, Tamil Nadu, before the event. “Twenty-four athletes including 12 boys and 12 girls are attending the camp. Physical fitness, meditation and game techniques are the key area of focus at the camp,” she said. The World Cup will see Sreelekshmi and the Indian roll ball team squaring off with athletes from 17 countries.