Written in Suvarna letters

“It has been something that I have always dreamt of happening to me,and I knew it would come true someday,” she says now.

There were less than hundred people awaiting Bartakke on Monday as she arrived from Patna after having helped the Indian women lift the first-ever Women’s Kabaddi World Cup. They were,however,armed with garlands and bouquets of various sizes. This was the Dadar-based left corner player’s tryst with her lifelong reverie.

“I simply expected my parents and a few friends to be there. I was totally overwhelmed with the presence of my entire district and state team players and other officials,” says Bartakke.

Being hoisted on her teammates’ shoulders at the airport terminal though is certainly not the Maharashtra captain’s supreme highlight in the past week,which has easily been the most glorious of her life. That focal point rather came a few days earlier at the Patlipura Sports Complex at Kankerbagh,as she and her 11 Indian teammates lifted the maiden World Cup trophy.

“I had goosebumps prior to the first match when the national anthem was playing. But I cannot explain the kind of delight I experienced when they were presenting the World Cup winning medals to us,and Jana Gana Mana… was playing in the background. That moment will remain etched in my memory forever,” says Bartakke. Getting India off the mark with her first raid in the final against Iran,which they eventually won 25-19,was another high-point,she reveals.

Just being a part of the team for the World Cup was special,she adds,considering this was the Shivneri-resident’s maiden call-up to the national team,after having shone at every single level previously. Making her debut on such a grand stage didn’t,however,prove to be as intimidating as she expected,thanks mainly to the manic crowd support that the Indian team received in Patna.

“The grounds were packed completely. There were so many people turning up that they had to install TV’s outside for them to catch the action,” she says.

The Indian team might have enjoyed an inevitable cakewalk en route to the title,but the improvements in the standards of the other participating nations proved to be an encouraging sign for the sport on the whole. And apart from having enjoyed listening to 15 new national anthems,Bartakke too was impressed by a number of her opponents.

“Watching girls from Chinese Taipei,Mexico and the USA play kabaddi itself was a very heartening sight,while countries like Iran,Thailand and Japan have really improved their games. The pronunciation of ‘kabaddi’ might have differed a lot from team to team,but their intensity was there to see,” says Bartakke.

The language barrier also prevented her from really hitting it off with players from the opposition camp off the field. But there are still great memories that she is set to cherish for a long time.

Back home,however,Bartakke now seeks redemption on the job front. While she promises to continue her ardent allegiance to her beloved sport,the Dadar dudette still desperately seeks a settled career off the kabaddi field.

“We have been promised Class I jobs for all who participated in the Asiad and the World Cup. So hopefully that will transpire soon,” says Bartakke.