Despite hardships caused by floods, these kids emerge winners in sports

Five children from flood-hit Dhakka Basti in Lohian, Shahkot have qualified for the block-level school games, overcoming weeks of displacement and hardship caused by the recent floods.

Among them is 12-year-old Harmanpreet Kaur, the daughter of a daily wage labourer, who participated in the games today and secured the first position in long jump and got qualified for the tehsil-level school games. It marked the block-level event for girls today.

For nearly 15 days, Harmanpreet and several others lived in extremely challenging conditions, displaced after floodwaters inundated their village last month. With homes submerged, families sought shelter under tarpaulin sheets on a bundh, braving scorching heat, insanitary conditions and uncertainty. Though they have now returned home as waters have receded, access to the village remains difficult, with rebuilding efforts on. Charan Kaur, Harmanpreet 's mother, told this reporter that her husband had no work after floods.

Despite these odds, five children — Prabhjot Singh, Ansh, Harmanpreet Kaur, Janvi, and Gurpartap Singh — qualified for the block-level games. Their participation spans disciplines like kabaddi, kho-kho, long jump and track events. And all this came despite having very limited time to do practice. Janvi and Harmanpreet also participated in the kho-kho event today and secured the third place.

This isn’t the first time that these children have faced adversity. During the 2023 floods, they endured similar conditions. Yet, their resilience has only grown.

Prabhjot Singh (10) spent nights on the terrace of his flooded home during the recent disaster. His father, Malkeet Singh, recalled, “I asked him to stay with relatives, but he refused. We slept on the terrace surrounded by mosquitoes. He needed a proper diet for training, but we couldn’t provide it because of the situation.”

The stories of Ansh and Janvi have similar struggles. They both also spent days living under a tarpaulin on the bundh.

Ansh got selected in 200-mrace. Just two days before the competition, scheduled for Friday, September 26 (for boys), Ansh participated in the centre-level school games and earned his place in the block-level event.

Ansh’s father, Surjit Singh, said, “Our house collapsed in 2023. With great difficulty, we rebuilt it only to be displaced again this year. There are no cracks this time, but the fear lingers.”

Both Ansh and Prabhjot told this reporter that they wanted to be police officers.

Block Primary Education Officer (BPEO) Lohian, Rameshwar, praised the children’s spirit and determination. “These kids have been playing remarkably well. Despite such challenging circumstances, they have truly stood out. It’s a testament to their resilience, and we are incredibly proud of them,” he told The Tribune.