The Hindu Business Line : Kapil <I>da jawab nahin </I>

If a child has "the spark and the determination" to become a good cricketer, there is, today, enough scope and help to get training to become a professional cricketer.

I promise that I would never take an autograph. But I would give an autograph. And I would work hard and become worthy of giving autographs."

This is the oath that the legendary Kapil Dev administers to the children of the schools that he visits. But why is he touring schools?

Says Tushar Shah, Assistant Vice-President - Marketing and Commercial, SET India Private Ltd, "As a run up to the ICC Under-19 Cricket Tournament to be held at Bangladesh in 2004, we have Kapil Dev come down and speak to students and motivate them and also communicate the message that while studies is important, sports, keeping fit and positive-thinking are also equally important. We are covering 11 cities, including Kanpur, Baroda, Chandigarh, Ahmedabad, and two schools in each city."

It was a day that all the students of the two Chennai schools, Sri Sankara Vidhyashram and Chettinad Vidhyashram, that he visited as part of the promotional tour, Kapil's Under-19, had been waiting for. "We are looking forward to the question-answer session with Kapil. We weren't there to watch him lift the World Cup in 1983, but we want to hear him relive those moments, and also get valuable tips on the game," said Poongkulali, a Class XII student of Sri Sankara Vidhyashram. She was not alone in her desire to meet the champion all-rounder.

P. Avinash, a budding cricketer for his school's team, had this to say: "He was a fantastic all-rounder. As a beginner, I feel his tips would really help improve my bowling, and also keep me fit for the sport if I want to continue cricket seriously. It's going to be really inspirational. I would like to know how to concentrate more on pace bowling, how to adjust to pitch conditions and to keep my arms fit."

It was not only the students who were waiting to quiz Kapil. The sports instructor of the school, K.G. Alagesan, too had a couple of points to discuss — the requisite skills to become a full-fledged cricketer.

What did he make of such an event? "The euphoria among the children is infectious. Such activities would be a morale-booster for them and help foster more interest among students for the sport."

And finally, the moment that the students had been waiting for arrived. Amidst lusty cheering and anxious tittering, their hero claimed the stage. "Believe in what you do," Kapil told the attentive and doting students. "I always believe in what I do and I would go till the last stop to do it. It's equally important to enjoy what you are doing. Whether it is sports or education, if you enjoy yourselves, you can perform better."

Though he finds them hardworking, he doesn't think the members of the present Indian cricket team "are really enjoying cricket. If they start enjoying the matches, they would be able to perform much better," he points out.

Tushar backs up his view saying, "Our idea is to inspire and motivate people. To promote sports in India and to promote health to a large extent."

During the address and the interactive session, another facet of the cricketer came through — that of a motivational guru. "Motivate people, particularly youngsters, is what I want to do. I think it's important to think positively. And to motivate kids, it doesn't take much," he says.

Was it really possible to become a cricketer, especially when there were so many aspiring cricketers? Archit, a class XII student of Sri Sankara Vidyashramam, raised this query. "If you have the spark, you should also have the determination to come up. Where there is a will, there is a way. There are a lot of people who are ready to give that extra training to make you a professional cricketer. Take me for example, I came from a small town, but I was sure I wanted to excel in the sport," said the cricketer.

And when another student asked him why he wanted to take up serious cricket in the first place, he responded with a wry smile, "I wanted to run away from schools." But, he cautioned, "That was for me. The logic doesn't apply to you."

As a sportsman, he is very happy with the way cricket has been recognised as a sport. "We should be proud of the fact that corporates are interested in the sport. It's only because of their presence that the game and the cricketers have received the kind of recognition that they enjoy today," he said.

The day was not just all talk, there was a good amount of play too, and the children did have their moments of glory when 19 of them got a chance to bowl to the cricketer. As he challenged them to "get me out", he also encouraged them on with suggestions and many a useful tip. Then it was time for a few lessons for both the aspiring batsmen and bowlers. "If you are a batsman, it's important to have the right stance and also to hold the bat right. If you are a bowler, it is important that when you deliver a ball, you should first bowl in your mind. If you can run 100 metres in 10 seconds, try covering that distance in 11 seconds, so that you don't run out of breath."

The children never tired of listening to the numerous tips and nuggets of information that Kapil dished out to them. Gangadhar Sai summed up the experience, "It was great to learn cricketing tips from a legend. And it is our dream come true."

Picture by Bijoy Ghosh

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Kapil da jawab nahin