Daughter of a tea seller, Nandini Agasara clinches gold medal for Telangana in Khelo India Youth Games 2020
In the event, Nandini jumped a distance of 5.65 metres in the U-17 long jump event to clinch the gold. She was followed by Nirma Asari from Gujarat and Abhirami Balakrishna VM from Kerala, who bagged the second and third positions.
We all have heard of many rags to riches stories. One of them is cricketer Yashasvi Jaiswal, who once sold pani puri to make a living. He was later picked by the Rajasthan Royals for the upcoming IPL season.
Similarly, Nandini Agasara, the daughter of a tea seller, clinched a gold medal for Telangana in the U-17 long jump event in the Khelo India Youth Games 2020, in Guwahati on Saturday. The young athlete’s father used to work two jobs a day to make ends meet. From donning the hat of a security guard to setting up a tea stall at Kapran, Secunderabad.
In a conversation with Telangana Today, Nandini said,
“I bestow this medal to my father and my coaches, Ramesh, Nagaraj, and Praveen sir. My nana (father) saved every penny to help me pursue my career. He never said no to my dreams to run in big meets. Both of my parents sacrificed a lot for me. We stay in a small one-bedroom with two of my younger brothers.”
In the event, Nandini jumped a distance of 5.65 metres to clinch the gold medal. She was followed by Nirma Asari from Gujarat and Abhirami Balakrishna VM from Kerala, who bagged the second and third positions.
According to Siasat, two-years-ago, her coach from Kendriya Vidyalaya school motivated her. After witnessing her capabilities, the coach offered to train her, following which she participated in many competitions. She was also referred to the Dronacharya awardee N Ramesh for further training, following her consistent performance.
“She has the potential to come good at big events. I had no hesitation to take her when she ran at the ground. She is a good all-round athlete and can win medals for the country in the future,” N Ramesh told the Siasat.
(Edited by Suman Singh)
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