Be A Sport

Located in Nehrunagar (Udyamnagar locality),not far from the Annasaheb Magar stadium of the PCMC,this sports school has completed 10 years of existence. Fifty-four-year-old Rajendra Satav has been its principal since its inception. “We usually have 300 students in the school,both boys and girls,in Standards 5-10. This year,there are 266 students and each one is a sportsperson,” says Satav.

A student has to go through rigorous tests before he/she is selected,says education officer Vishnu Jadhav. Satav points out that there are a variety of tests like height,weight,vertical jump,standing broad jump,shuttle run,medicine throw ball,800-metre run and so on which a student has to undergo before he or she is slected. “Generally,students are selected in this school at Class 5 level and he or she should be under nine years of age,” he adds.

The students come from all parts of Pimpri-Chinchwad. They are provided with two free meals – breakfast and lunch,besides shoes,socks,track suits and sports equipment. They are also provided free bus passes. “We provide them with nutrious vegetarian food to enhance their energy levels. We have a dietician to guide them on what to eat and what not to eat,” says Satav,adding,”The students are not charged any fee at all.”

The most popular sports amongst students are athletics,kabaddi,kho kho,boxing,and volleyball. “The PCMC has provided us with proper grounds,equipment and all other necessary facilities. We have deliberately not included sports like cricket,hockey and football. We may introduce them later on,” says Satav.

The students here have to follow a strict time-table. They assemble in the school premises at around 7 am. First,there is a warm-up session,followed by 45 minutes of a sport of their choice and another 45 minutes of yoga. Then there’s breakfast for an hour between 9.15 and 10.15 am,after which they rest till 11 am before attending classes till 4.15 pm. “After that,they again head to the sports ground till 6 pm,” informs Satav.

Every year,35-40 students of this school play at state-level games,says Jadhav. “We have a student who has been captaining the state kabaddi team for the last 10 years,” he adds. Also,in the last 10 years,the school has won 200 trophies and mementos at competitions held across the country. “Currently,one of our students is at a national kabbadi camp. She might get the chance to represent the country at an international level,” says Satav. A memorable win for the school is when the athletics team bagged the third prize at the national competition held at Balewadi last year,he adds. “There are several high points but this is particularly cherished,” he adds.

Despite the great emphasis on sports,the students do well in academics. Satav says,”Every year,we have 93 to 98 per cent SSC results. In the last four-five years,we have had only one failure.” Every year,PCMC spends Rs 80 lakhs on the school and civic activists say it’s money well-spent.