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Arjuna Awardee Kho-Kho Player Sarika Kale Recalls Consuming Only 1 Meal Per Day For A Decade

byAakriti Agarwal
24th August 2020
3 minute read

Whenever we think of sports in India, men’s cricket is probably the first thing that comes to mind. But when other less popular sports take the backseat, their players often undergo massive struggles to get basic amenities and recognition. For instance, squash star Dipika Pallikal and former team India trainer earlier expressed concern over the state of Indian squash.

As per a report in The Indian Express, 27-year old Sarika Kale, who’s a former Indian women’s kho-kho team captain, is all set to be conferred with the Arjuna Award during a virtual ceremony on National Sports Day on August 29, 2020. Opening up about the achievement, she revealed, “Though I have been named for the Arjuna Award this year, I still remember the days of playing Kho Kho. I had one-time food for almost a decade.”

She continues, “My family’s condition pushed me to play the game. This game changed my life and now I am working as a sports officer at Tuljapur in Osmanabad district.”

The ace player has bagged multiple medals during the past decade in the Senior National Championships and had successfully led the women’s team to gold at the 12th South Asian Games in the year 2016.

Recalling her past struggles, she explained how her journey began. When she was 13 years old, her uncle who used to also play kho-kho in  Osmanabad district of Maharashtra, was the first person who took her to the ground. But her family faced numerous problems financially.

“My mother worked on a sewing machine and did other household chores. My father had physical limitations and hence couldn’t earn much. Our entire family was depended on my grandparents’ earning. During those years, I consumed food just once a day. I used to get a special diet only when I used to be in camp or used to go for some competition,” she revealed.

Despite the situation, her family luckily was very supportive of her throughout and always had her back. They also never stopped her from going to tournaments to play.

She explains, “The difference between rural and urban environment of sports is, people in rural parts understand your success a little late, no matter how big it is.”

Outlook reports her coach Chandrajit Jadhav saying that she had to quit the game in 2016 due to continuing financial problems. He revealed, “In 2016, Sarika was disturbed due to her family’s financial issues. She had even decided to leave the game. Her grandmother told me that she had locked herself in a room.”

He continued, “However, after counseling, Sarika was back on the ground and this was the turning point. She continued her game again and last year she got a government job, which helped her to settle. She was then part of the team that won the Asian Kho Kho Championship in 2016 and also won the player of the tournament award in that tournament.”

As happy as we are for her eventual success, we can’t help but wonder what steps should’ve been taken by the authorities to ensure that talented sportspersons like her don’t lose out on opportunities due to a lack of availability of funds. We hope Sarika’s story initiates a much-needed change in the sector.

Cover Image Source- Left

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