Tags:
Journalism of Courage
Every time when anxiety fills the air inside the swanky wrestling hall at the NIS,Patiala,the women wrestlers turn to their foreign coach Roin Dobu. To pierce the tension,the coach sings Mud mud ke na dekh. The girls would burst into laughter and the mood inevitably changes for the better. The Georgian coach doesnt understand English or Hindi,but language has never been a barrier between the female wrestlers and Dobu.
The 62-year-old has been their constant companion,a father figure who is always ready to offer help if needed. Initially it was hard for us to communicate with him but slowly we began to talk in sign language. He knows a few old hindi songs and he sings those songs whenever he is happy. It really amazes us, said Geeta.
Dobus India fascination began when he visited the country in the late 60s. Apart from that,Raj Kapoor movies and Bollywood songs from that era left a deep impact on him.
Wrestling is an art and it doesnt need any language. Dobu does not speak much but he demonstrates all the tactics,movements through sign language. Through that alone he demonstrates how a wrestler should move her arms and legs, shared national coach,PR Sondhi.
Right now Dobus focus is all on the upcoming Commonwealth Games,something which he is really working on. The girls are doing fine and India should win some medals, said Dobu.
