GUNTUR: In 19-year-old girl has made her mark in the national-level throwball team. A native of Guntur, Chall Kalpana recently participated in the Southwest Asian Throwball Championship held in Bahrain in February and played a prominent role in winning a silver medal for her country.
Speaking to TNIE, she said “I have been passionate about sports since my childhood. I began seriously practicing throwball in the eighth grade. By the 10th standard, I took part in a State-level tournament and since then, there was no stopping.
Representing my country on an international level has always been a dream of mine. I felt proud when our national anthem was played in the background,” Kalpana said.
However, her team lost to USA with a score of 25-23 in the final match. The doors for her international tournament opened when she took part in National Juniors Throwball Championship held in Tamil Nadu and the National Seniors Throwball Championship held in Uttar Pradesh. Although the Andhra Pradesh team lost the tournaments, Kalpana’s talent caught the eye of the national team selectors.
Her journey was not easy, as her orthodox parents did not initially understand her passion, and affording her training, and travel expenses to participate in tournaments in other States became very difficult.
“My father, Ch Venkateswar Rao, is a real estate agent, and my mother, Sunitha, is a homemaker. Even though my parents wanted me to focus solely on education, after great effort, I was able to convince them to allow me to pursue throwball. Eventually, they agreed, and I started participating in various district-level and State-level tournaments, earning recognition for myself. Throwball is a dynamic game that demands precision, agility, and strategic thinking. To the onlooker, the game may appear simple, but it has many rules governing how to throw and catch,” she opined.
“Balancing studies and practicing the sport was not easy. But the sport helped me improve my concentration and excel in studies as well. Beyond the arena, sports instill vital life skills such as discipline, teamwork, and resilience. It fosters a sense of camaraderie and healthy competition, which helped me overcome various hurdles in my life,” she explained.
Kalpana describes her meeting with her coach, CH Suneel, as life-altering in her career. Suneel was the captain of the Indian throwball team and secured several trophies and medals for the country. “When Suneel sir agreed to coach me, I was beyond surprised. Not only did he provide coaching for free, but he also provided the required diet, equipment, and introduced me to several sports enthusiasts.”
A final year student pursuing BCA at Jagarlamudi Kuppuswamy Chowdary (JKC) College in the city, Kalpana has already secured a job to support her family.