Y.S. RANA , KANDAGHAT (HP)—Vajindra Singh is their ideal, soil is Kandaghat, background is poverty, higher education is their ambition and excellence in boxing is their aspiration. The instinct imbibes by none other than an employee of revenue department who strives hard to churn out sports persons from the area. Over 30 boys in the age group of 7-14 on a roof of a house in Kandaghat in district Solan is a common scene for a passerby but they assemble for a purpose.
The sports policy always remains under the fire range of the public for non-performance, there are people like Randhir Singh, an employee of revenue department spares time from his schedule and is promoting budding talent of the area and drawing them to the field of sports. He who brought up in the natural surroundings of Chamba belt completed his matriculation from Solan. But he is arranging cutting-edge training session in the morning and evening especially to underprivileged boys of surrounding areas free-of-cost to bring more and more Dhyan Chand and Vajindra Singh of these boys.
At first appearance, they are ordinary boys but an extraordinary power of punches. While talking to the trainees, it seems that their hope has replaced despair and more importantly, they are no more feel on the sidelines of the mainstream of society. It is interesting to watch when they are taking boxing basics to their gloves with combination of feet, punches and mental caliber. They have barely yet to cross the spring of their life, have exhibited the latent sports talent. Despite all odds they seem to have pre-determined their goal. They have some bigger shot in their punches and waiting for an opportunity to exhibit these.
“I always scare by classmates. When I took to boxing I had another reason for joining it. I wanted to grow stronger to make sure that in case of a quarrel with someone, I could put up adequate resistance,” says one of them. But now the intention is not to fight it out well in case of quarrel with anyone but make it a mission of life, said he. His coach believes that though he is physically weak but he is an agile and aggressive lad who in moments forces his opponents to the corner.
A rare personality in the state sports, Randhir Singh never got recognition from any quarter, but by his sheer effort he is becoming a glitter of present days. He symbolizes a unique feat in the sports field as a player and a coach. Speaking this reporter, Randhir Singh said that state has immense potential of sportsperson. Need of the hour was to encourage them. “As a part of his strategy, I am enticing children to enter the field of sports. Lack of resources many of them could not think about sports though from these we may have Dhyan Chand or Vajindra Singh,” said Randhir Singh. Of these, four boys have immense potential to become a boxer of national or international repute, says he.
Dwelling on successes of his boys, he said that one trainee participated in inter-university boxing championship and won a gold medal. Two boys and a girl have also participated in district and state-level boxing tournaments. Six girls trained by him in hockey participated in national junior and sub-junior tournament and won silver medal. Three boys and four girls have participated in Rugby football national championship and won gold, silver and bronze medals.
He went from being a high school hockey player to best hockey player of the state in 1992. All along he kept his hand in boxing also. In 1990-91 he was declared best boxer of district Solan. As a player he participated in hockey, boxing, rugby football at state, national and international level. His name appeared in the Limca Book of world records when he successfully participated in adventure sports and arranged hockey match at world’s highest glacier- Siachin and Lukang tops.
Besides, he was selected as a coach and assistant manager of Rugby football Indian team that played in Nepal and Pakistan. Pakistani media has given prominent place for his sportsmanship. In 2015, he was selected as a manager of baseball team for Indo-America Series-2015.
There is no surprise if a unknown small town of Himachal Pradesh, Kandaghat may register its presence on the national sports map of India and contribute its bit in national sports pool in coming days..