Let Us Hope For More Medals In The Next Olympics Along With Nagaraj!

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Nagaraj of Prime Sports Academy, Chennai 

All of us Indians, were happy that we got the highest number of medals in Olympics, this year...huh, highest number of medals Indians got in the Olympic history. Whether it is Gold, Silver or Bronze, we got 6 medals in total (have a laugh reading this post of mine here!).  Wikipedia has got an interesting article on our Olympic participation here, through the years. All the winners as well as the participants must have gone through so much hurdles before even participating in the Olympics or any sports events in our country. Our sports ministers and the officials involved are interested in using the trip abroad to enjoy shopping and touring the countries.  My cousin's daughter came upto State level in swimming and her mother used to accompany her everywhere.  She used to tell us stories about how they were ill treated during their stay at the competition venues by the officials.  So, sensible Indians will never think of sending their children in the sports line, well...cricket is a bit different!  We have read stories about P.T.Usha and Shiny Abraham's training in athletics.  They had dedicated teachers/coaches to train them, which is very rare here, in India.

I read about Nagaraj in the Tamil Magazine, Ananda Vikatan who started Prime Sports Academy in Chennai from scratch, to train athletes  from every corner of Tamilnadu (This is a very old article about this academy.  I couldn't get a better recent article on this).  His aim is to get Olympic medals in athletics. Let me write about this man whom I have started admiring now.  Bharathi Thambi has started the article very nicely.  Let me quote that too.  Hope I translate the article reasonably well!

"A bird carries some seed in its beak, from a long distance and drops it on the earth which helps in forming a forest. But the bird hasn't got time to take rest in the forest but starts flying, looking for the next seed to sow on the earth. Some people, like the bird, do good deeds to others without expecting anything in return from them. Nagaraj is one among them."

In Chennai's Broadway area, a narrow lane leads to a tiny gate. Inside, we see young boys and girls running while sweating profusely.  Among them 14 are international champions.  More than 100 are national champions in running, high jump, javelin throw, weight lifting, long jump etc. All are happily training here. The coach Nagaraj started this training school and made his students win medals - Shanthi won silver in Asian Games, Prem Kumar won Bronze.  Gayatri won gold in hurdles in common Wealth Games. Nagaraj is a coach here for the past 24 years. He has got a job in Central Excise and coaches these athletes in the mornings and evenings, without taking any fee from them.  This is just a passion for him.

He says, "Hurdles game is always a poor man's game.  This needs the athlete to just work hard - physically.  Their bodies should withstand the strain of the hard training. Only children with poor background will be able to do it.  Most of the children here come from very very poor family.  Their parents just think that their children are studying in Madras. Only these children will make India's dream of Olympic gold come true"

His native place is Arundavapuram, near Thanjavoor.  His mother is an ayah at the mid-day meal section in a school. It was very difficult for him to buy even a pair of shoes which costed Rs.50 in those days!  He managed somehow with hard work and got a silver medal in junior level High Jump competition (national level competition).  His P.T. teacher was impressed by his hard work and sent him to Madras to study B.B.Ed. (I don't know the expansion of this degree.  Can anyone help?!). The teacher, Mr.Shanmugasundaram said that he would resign his job once Nagaraj gets the degree, so that he could join his job! Nagaraj says that he will never forget his words.

After he got the degree he got a job in Central excise in sports quota.  He was coaching children in the mornings and evenings.  He never married.  Never attended any family function.  He had never watched a movie (this shows his determinatiion). His whole life was spent in training children for the past 24 years.

Sneha Princi, who was coached by him, got a medal in the national level for heptathlon (1989).  K.N.Priya got a medal in the international level in 100m. hurdles.  This was the starting.  Later on many of his students participated and got medals in national and international competitions.   Now 24 of them participate in international level competitions. 14 of them are winners of medals in international level competitions.  More than 100 students are national level competition medal winners.

He says that he visits schools on their Sports Day in small villages and towns and enquire the P.T. teachers to recommend good athletes.  Then Nagaraj would go to their house and request the parents to send them with him to Chennai.  If he told them about just sports coaching they wouldn't let the children go with him.  Nagaraj would assure them that the children would be sent to school, college and then he would arrange for a job for them.  Shanthi, the silver medallist in Asian Games was brought to Chennai in this way!

It was very difficult to find a place for training the children until 2000.  Then the Pachchaiappa College Endowment offered the current playground for training.  But they charged a rent of Rs.8000 rent.  This rent was born by Dr.Babu Manoharan of St.Joseph Engg.College and he also spent 37 Lakhs to clear the place, built a hostel and arranged for buses for the school.  This is the way Nagaraj's Prime Sports Academy started.

Nagaraj also says that the athletes had to spend 10 prime years in hard training to win the medals.  If the Governments and other organizations assure them of a good job in sports quota, many children would happily join the training and work hard to get even Olympic Medals.

Have a look at this video where Nagaraj speaks about himself.  He seems to be a very simple but determined man.  We need more people like him and then can dream about getting more Olympic medals! 

His school needs still more help from people. Needs drinking water at the playground for the children. Needs latest sports equipments which will help the children to participate in the international level games with confidence.

The requirement to join his school: The children should be interested in sports and be healthy. Expenses will be born by the academy and educational qualification is not important. Age limit is from 10 to 18 years.

All the Best, Nagaraj! Let your dream come true and we will all celebrate!


Picture courtesy: Ananda Vikatan