Levelling the playing field

Young athletes often face a particularly tough dilemma. At one point in their academic life, they are often forced to choose between their beloved sport and academics. The harsh reality is that this decision becomes tougher if you happen to be a girl. A new initiative hopes to bring about change by making the path easier for such girls and lessening the possibility of this unfair trade-off. Vir Shrinagesh, a national athlete and currently a student himself, wants to change this equation through his NGO Educkick Naari that aims to channel the sporting achievements of such talented athletes into higher education opportunities by making use of the sports quota system. The initiative holds workshops in several towns in north India to introduce young athletes to the process involved in sport quotas — the eligibility criteria, the documentation required and the colleges that accept such admissions. The girls also get personalised guidance about their academic future while pursuing their sport. So far, over 100 young women have been mentored. A handbook has also been released.