Destiny and luck do not favour everyone, but there are still many brave hearts who overcome every hurdle and keep moving on in the journey of life. Hardship at an early age can dampen the spirit and shake one’s belief, but nothing came in the way of Ajay, a young archer who helps at his father’s vegetable stall. He has overcome the odds to pursue his passion and, despite adversity and hardship, is inching towards his goal, having recently won a silver medal at the Junior Nationals in archery.
Early days
Ajay, who comes from a very humble background, has been involved in archery for the last five years. He was introduced to the sport at the age of 13 by his PT teacher, Ramkumar Sehrawat, who is now the archery coach at Chhatrasal Stadium. He was thrilled to take up the sport, but it also gave him plenty of sleepless nights. He was well aware that his family often went through financial crises, and he reconsidered his decision to take up the sport. In the end, it was his coach’s constant encouragement that brought him into archery.
In 2006, he took part in the All-India Rural Archery Championship for the first time. Ajay faced any number of problems, including unpaid school fees, the cost of books and stationery, and the cost of equipment. The price of archery equipment always sent shivers down his spine and made him wonder whether he could ever realise his dream of becoming the best archer in India.
At the School Nationals in 2008, his bow broke and he had no spare. It was the only one he had. He lost the championship and wished he had been able to afford better equipment and perform well. A good-quality imported recurve bow costs Rs 1 lakh, which is well beyond his means. But his spirits are always high, and he hopes to buy one some day with his own hard-earned money.
Dedicated archer
Ajay practises for four to five hours a day, morning and evening, at Deen Dayal Upadhyaya College under SAI coach Aseem Kumar Kundu. Since his Junior National success, people have started recognising him. He is now preparing for the Youth World Championships, to be held in Poland later this year. “I think I will make it this time. There will be two players from Delhi in the squad of four,” said Ajay, who could not make it to the 2010 Commonwealth Games and was ranked 25th in India. He has been shortlisted for the Indian camp and will appear for the trials in Jharkhand in May.
“I had a lot of problems, and I so wished I had got some help from the association in the beginning. My coach Ramkumar Sehrawat spent money on my equipment. He is like God to me. It is only after my recent wins that the association has stepped in and started helping me. A player is made at the grassroots level, but when I began my career I had no equipment at all and there was no one around to help me. Whatever I got was from my coach. I was completely dependent on him, and now I’m working hard to earn money, buy equipment and support my family.”
A responsible member of the family
He often helps his father, Rajinder Prasad, who runs a vegetable stall in Ashok Vihar, Delhi. The locals know him well, as his face is often seen at the stall, but he wants to establish his identity as one of the country’s best archers.
“My coaches have given me so much in the last five years, both in coaching and in financial help. Now I want to repay them by performing well, so that people get to know about them and about the sport as well.”
He never asks his father for money for his archery. Instead, he often takes on part-time jobs to keep his interest in the sport alive. Many times he has worked as a waiter at weddings and parties. He also knows how to repair mobile phones and coaches at Mata Sundri College for Women, where he earns Rs 300 a day. He is currently pursuing his higher education through an open school in Agra and does not even ask his father for his school fees. He also takes care of his younger siblings’ needs. At such a young age, he has taken on responsibility for the family. He has two elder sisters and two younger brothers. Sadly, he lost his mother last year, and because of the family’s financial difficulties they could not get her proper treatment.
Let bygones be bygones
He idolises India’s top archers, such as Dola Banerjee, Rahul Banerjee and Jayanta Talukdar. He wishes he had received more help when he started his career, because the early years mould a player. He is determined and hard-working. Leaving his difficult past behind, he is ready to hit his target.
He loves hanging out with friends, but his many responsibilities take the fun out of his daily life. Looking after the stall, his studies, training camps and other part-time jobs leave him so exhausted that he hardly gets any time for himself. These days he is practising hard for the trials. Hopefully he will get through this time, and destiny and luck will favour this hard-working young man.
By Akshi Aggarwal
Indian Sports News
