Kanpur: The story of Ruchi Tiwari from Kanpur who won a bronze medal at the recent Asian junior athletics championship in Macau came against the odds.
Ruchi's father, Rajendra Prasad Tewari isn't any ordinary paan-seller. Running a little kiosk in Kanpur, he's managed to produce a world-beater in his youngest daughter.
The prodigious young fighter has answered her father's call, sailing high to win the country laurels in a sport that isn't exactly top priority for the federation bosses who run the show.
"Struggling with circumstances it’s a great achivement that my daughter has reached where she has," says Rajendra Tewari.
Inspiration has brought her so far and you need more than just wings to sail like Ruchi — A standard pole costs around Rs 30,000, and considering Rajendra Tiwari's financial health, that is nearly impossible.
Yet, that didn't deter Ruchi as she borrowed a pole to go for glory.
She went on to clear the qualifiers and finally land a bronze medal in a very creditable effort.
"If I had a 120 feet vault I would have got a silver medal," says Ruchi.
Her elder sister Shail Tewari is a former national gold medallist and taking the cue, Ruchi has made stunning progress in the last 18 months.
Her immediate target is to take it to the senior level but whether she will have to borrow a pole yet again is for the federation bosses to answer.
(With inputs from Sanjeeb Mukherjea)
Comments
0 comment