AHMEDABAD: Four years ago, the then 15-year-old Shikha Chauhan started training in swimming. She soon switched the sport and joined her elder sister Chandni who was pursuing canoe slalom. The weak financial condition, however, didn't allow the sisters to continue training together forcing Chandni to leave the sport and start an accounting job to help her father, Sanjay Chauhan, who works at construction sites.
The sacrifice made by the elder sister started paying dividends as Shikha improved by leaps and bounds to become fastest woman in K1 slalom event earning her nickname of 'Rapid Rani'. This year, she won gold in the event in the national championships and followed it up with two bronze - individual and team - at the 2022 Asian Canoe Slalom Championships held in Thailand from March 19 to 21. She also competed at the World Championships.
The Indore teenager, who now trains at Bhopal's MP Water Sports Academy, added yet another feather to her cap by winning the K1 slalom title on her debut at the ongoing 2022 National Games here at Sabarmati Riverfront, Ahmedabad on Sunday. She was given the name 'Rapid Rani' a couple of months ago at the eighth edition of the Malabar River Festival and the Malabar White Water Kayaking Championship at Pulikkayam near Kodenchery in Kozhikode, Kerala.
"We were training together but then my father fell ill. The income before then was meagre as my father was supporting a family of five by working at construction sites in and around Indore. The not-so-good financial condition forced my sister to quit the sport and start earning," Shikha told this daily after finishing on top of the podium.
While she started swimming under coach Sagar Tonde, Kuldeep Singh Keer started training her once she switched the sport. "Given her speed and endurance in water, she is known as Rapid Rani in the circuit. Both sisters faced a lot of hardships as they hail from a modest family. After her sister quit canoe slalom, she continued her training at our centre at Maheshwar Nellai Ghat of Narmada river. After she won a gold at the national championships early this year, MP Water Sports Academy gave her an offer to train at their facility and she shifted to Bhopal around a couple of months ago," an elated coach Kuldeep told this daily.
Clean sweep by MP
Madhya Pradesh jumped to the 10th spot in the ranking, riding on their clean sweep of slalom events. Hitesh Kewat (kayak men), Vishwajit Singh Kushwaha (canoe men), Shikha Chauhan (kayak women) and Jahanvi Srivastava (canoe women) bagged the four gold medals on offer in slalom events. The Madhya Pradesh contingent also bagged three silver and bronze in 1000m sprints in both kayak and canoe events, which included singles and pairs. Services clinched all four gold medals on offer in the sprint events.