The Puneri spirit is evident in national womens netball coach Panchali Patke right from the beginning of the conversation,when she cheerily says,Its so nice to talk to someone from my city after so long! Tatke,who was born and brought up in the city,has been selected as the womens netball coach for the Indian team at the upcoming Commonwealth Games 2010 in Delhi. I have been training this team for almost two years now,and we have built up a good rapport and understanding, she stated. The veteran first took up the sport at the age of 13,but it was actually her second choice after athletics,in which she has participated at the national level in events like the shot put and javelin throw. That didnt stop her from excelling,however,and her rapid rise saw her represent the Indian netball team a total of five times in her career,at various competitions in Australia,Singapore,Hong Kong and Sri Lanka,among others. She also captained the side during the Indo-Pak series held in Pakistan in 2005,after which she quit the sport at the peak of her career. Explaining the reason for this decision,Tatke said,I wanted to quit while I was on top,because people remember you better when you go out on a high. She then started running a gym in the city,and was soon approached by the national netball officials to conduct a few selection camps for the upcoming players. What started out as a part time assignment soon became a full-time job,which she is enjoying thoroughly. It feels good to be able to contribute to the sport even after I have stopped playing,and I hope to be able to pass on my knowledge and experience to the upcoming youngsters so that I can boost their confidence, she said. Tatke further opined that although Pune has a lot of potential in the sport of netball,there is not enough encouragement at the school,college and club level for the sport to really come up. That being said,she speaks highly of the only other Puneite who is part of the netball squad,14-year old Shirin Limaye. Though she is the youngest in the team,she is one of our key players and we have high hopes from her at the Games, she said with pride. As an old hand with a storehouse of experience,Tatke is optimistic but realistic about the teams chances for a medal. To be honest,we are going in to the competition as huge underdogs,and might not even have qualified had we not been the hosts, she said,adding that as one of the youngest teams in the fray,India does not have the experience and exposure that most of the other teams do. On the bright side,this means we have nothing to lose,and can play without the pressure of expectations and give our 100 percent, she smiled. We will use the Commonwealth Games as a stepping stone for long-term goals,and I am confident that we can achieve a lot through hard work and dedication, she stated emphatically.
