Sprinter From Guj Village Heads To France For World Schools Championship

A 16-year-old from a small village called Kalavad near Jamnagar in Gujarat is all set to shine at an international school sports championship in France, starting on June 23. We couldn’t be more proud!

A farmer's daughter, sprinter Shraddha Kanthariya was discovered by the Gujarat Sports Academy and selected for the championship.

It was while studying in 6^th and 7^th grade that Shraddha kept participating in various extra-curricular activities in Jamnagar, the nearest town from her village.

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“I like studying but I have always wanted to be more into sports. I kept participating in various sports events in and around my school and it has always made me happy. I never really thought it would go anywhere in future,” she told Indiatimes.

Coming from a farmers' family, Shraddha had only seen financial crunch. Both her parents toiled in the fields all day and struggled to feed their children every day. Shraddha has a 12-year-old brother.

Shraddha had planned to help her family out by working, but destiny had other plans for her. She participated in the Khel Mahakumbh, which took place a couple of years ago.  “I went there just to see how things looked like in a bigger arena,” she said.

The girl's talent was spotted there by Upasana Randelia, Shraddha’s coach. After she won hearts at the Khel Mahakumbh by winning the running race, Upasana decided to train her.

“She was a sharp kid, but lacked polish. Her performance now is poles apart from what it was when we found her. She has risen and risen in all the years I have trained her at the sports academy,” Upasana explained.

Shraddha Kanthariya with coach Upasana (Photo Credit: Indiatimes.com)

“It is rare to find dedication in someone so young,” Upasana said, adding that though her trainee is a shy kid, she gives her rivals tough competition.

“This is going to be my first international trip and I am very excited about it. I am happy that I got this opportunity as not everyone from my village gets a chance like this. My parents are thrilled that I will be going to a competition this big,” Shraddha shared.

The journey of this talented sportsperson has just started. Within a small span of her career, Shraddha has already clinched numerous titles, including the trials at the District Level Sports School. Now, her only wish is to do well at the France event and make her parents proud. We wish her good luck in all her endeavours!

Feature Image Credit: India Times

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