It was nothing but a mere coincidence. The day India’s lone Winter Olympian Shiva Keshavan landed in the capital from Italy on Thursday, the country was honouring sportspersons at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. But for the luge star, who had a creditable performance at Salt Lake City and finished fourth at Asian Championship, the dream to be in company of President APJ Kalam was a distant dream.On his mind was not Ashoka Hall but a visit to the corporate houses to look for a helping hand. "Right now the thing at the top on my agenda is to obtain a scholarship and financial aids which will enable me to train and participate in world meets. Arjuna Award is a distant thought," he says.The 21-year-old, who is pursuing a degree course in Political Science at Florence University in Italy, is on a vacation. After celebrating his birthday two days back with his parents at his home in idyllic hill station of Vashist, Keshavan is in the hustle and bustle of the capital trying for a appointment with potential sponsors.Keshavan, who estimate his annual expenditure to sustain in the sport at $25,000, is at crossroads. He has been approached by the Italian national team to switch sides but he also has a dream of winning honours for his country despite the shoe-string budget. And there are times when there this thought of calling it quits and pursuing academics.But struggle and difficult decisions is what Keshavan has learnt to live with. Everybody should have seen the poignant picture of the lone flag bearer in two Winter Olympics. But few know that even the track suit that Keshavan was wearing was self-funded and the ‘India’ on the back was scribbled by him a night before.Somehow he got the shoes from the association back home, but sadly they didn’t fit. "They were hurting like anything and since mine was the first event after the opening ceremony it was a harrowing experience," he recollects.Recently he was informed that the money for the air-tickets for this year Olympics has been dispatched. But it still hasn’t reached him.Despite the cold shoulder at home, Keshavan has friends abroad. ‘‘The Italian team has been big help,’’ he says. They allow him to use the facilities and even take care of travelling.The Italian team for European circuit travel by air while their equipment are transported by road and Keshavan hikes a ride in this van. "It’s me and the driver all the way," he says with a smile.Keshavan participated in Olympics with a borrowed sledge which an American writer said "looks like a 1957 Chevy with rusty doors and borrowed parts from 10 cars!""My last sledge," quips Keshavan, "was a piece that I had assembled myself using parts borrowed from ex-athletes." It a day’s work at my friend’s garage.But Keshavan is confident that things can change if he wins a medal at the Asian Games in Japan. But so far it has been an uphill task for this downhill sport hero.
