Help pours in for 13-yr-old national-level judo player

Aakanksha N Bhardwaj

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, November 20

A one-room rented home in the Guru Nanak Pura locality reverberated with joy today.

The ailing mother of the 13-year-old national-level judo champion, Sharmila, who earns less than Rs 4,000 a month by working at other households, is getting financial help from persons from all walks of life.

The Tribune through a news report had highlighted the condition of the player who has won several medals in state as well as national-level championships.

After the report, police officials have also come forward to help the girl. A woman constable posted in Jalandhar Cantt, Mandeep Kaur, has given Rs 22,000 to the girl’s family.

One of the prominent schools of the city, Mayor World School, has also come forward to help her.

Neerza Mayor, vice-chairperson of the school, said in the next session, the school was ready to give her admission and she would be provided free education at the school.

She said she wants Sharmila to continue getting good marks and she should not stop playing the game.

School officials said the school also had a judo and karate coach and would help Sharmila to hone her skills once she joins the school.

Mandeep Kaur while talking to The Tribune said she read about the girl in these columns and also visited the player’s house to meet her and handed over the cash.

“I felt upset after getting to know about her present situation. That is why I decided to give half of my salary to the little wonder,” she said.

Pargat Singh, a constable posted at the district courts here, also shared the news report and a video of Sharmila on social networking sites. He shared her savings bank account number so that people could transfer money directly to her account. Pargat Singh said even NRIs were approaching Sharmila for help.

Help has come from Sangrur district too. Though Gurinder Singh, a teacher by profession posted on a contract basis in a government school, doesn’t earn much, he has helped Sharmila by transferring money to her account.

He said he earns too less but he got emotional after reading about the girl.

“Helping her has given me immense happiness and a feeling of contentment,” Pargat said.

Ajitpal Singh Chahal, who is working with the PSPCL, has also helped Sharmila and has transferred Rs 11,000 to her account. Chahal said he had a daughter, hence he could not see any girl child suffer.

Aiming high

Sharmila, whose aim is to play at the international level, is getting herself prepared for the state-level championship which will be held in Amritsar on December 8.

Tale of sufferings

The life of this small wonder is miserable. Despite the fact that she has won medals in judo in the Khelo India national-level competitions in the U14 category, organised by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, she gets no proper diet or any guidance.

Sharmila lives with her mother and her two siblings in a one-room house. A look into the room clearly shows about the poor financial condition of the family.

Sharmila’s father, who is a rickshaw-puller, no longer lives with them. Her mother, Sonia, is the only breadwinner of the family. She works at other households. Problems in the family have never deterred the little marvel, instead, these made her a fighter.