Jalandhar’s Bedi on quest to find India’s best dancers for Olympics

Aparna Banerji
Tribune News Service
Jalandhar, January 8

Advertisement

With breakdancing all set to debut as a sport in the 2024 Paris Olympics, Jalandhar-based choreographer Gaggun Bedi finds himself in the spotlight as the man tasked with building the team — of 16 boys and girls — that will be the country’s formal representative for the sport at the Olympics.

The All India Dance Sports Federation (AIDSF) is undertaking the task of selecting the final team for the Olympics through national and international tournaments.

“We were intimated in December by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) that India is invited to send in its breakdancing entries for the Olympics,” said Bedi, chief technical director of AIDSF.

“Preparations will shortly begin to finalise the team. A number of national tournaments will be held and the team selected will also be participating in international tournaments every year ahead of the 2024 Olympics. The players will be trained by foreign coaches,” he added.

Bedi said breakdancing’s inclusion in the Olympics is going to usher in a revolution. “This is a very good news for choreographers as well as dancers. There are thousands of talented dancers in India who will now have a formal sport to compete in. It is going to open a lot of doors and provide means of livelihood to many,” Bedi said.

AIDSF general secretary Vishwajit Mohanty said, “The team will be chosen from the 100 or so shortlisted candidates from the entire country. We expect the team to be finalised by June. We will be bringing in coaches from France and US. The selected team will also have training stints abroad.”