Click to play videoKanpur: Rajendra Prasad Tewari is not an ordinary paan-seller. Running a little kiosk in Kanpur, he has managed to turn his youngest daughter Ruchi Tiwari into a world-class athlete.
And the prodigious daughter has answered her dad's call by sailing high to win the country laurels in a sport that isn't exactly top priority for the federation bosses who run the show.
Yet, it will be a long and arduous struggle for Ruchi, even after her bronze-winning feat in pole vault at the Macau Asian Junior Athletic Championship.
"Abhaav se sangharh karke bacche yehan tak pahunche hain. Ye ek bahut badi uplabdhi hai. Unki lagan hai, unki mehnat hai. Agar ye abhaav abhi bhi pura ho jaye to hamara or hamari beti ka sapna jo Olympic mein gold medal lane ka hai wo bahut door nahi dikhai padta (She has achieved all this despite the poor facilities. It is a big achievement. It is all because of her motivation and hard work. If she is provided with all the facilities then our dream of an Olympic gold medal would be fulfilled)," her father Rajendra Prasad Tewari says.
"Is ke andar ek athelte ke gun hai(She has all the qualities to become a good athlete)," Ruchi's coach Indu Manral says.
And it was not easy for Rajendra Prasad Tiwari to turn the dreams of her daughter into reality. A standard pole costs around Rs 30,000 and considering Rajendra's financial condition it is nearly impossible for him to buy one for his daughter.
"Gali gali mein hamare yehan bacche eeta laga ker bat ball khel lete hain, kabhi aapne pole vault khelte nahi dekha hoga. koi danda laga ker jump nahi karta (You will find children playing cricket in the streets. But you will never find any one practicing pole vault)," Tiwari adds.
Yet, that did not deter Ruchi as she borrowed a pole in Macau to go for glory.
Confronted by the best Asian talent, each of who have at least five to six poles just for practice, Ruchi proved that determination could make one-soar heights.
Ruchi went on to clear the qualifiers, and finally won a bronze medal. But with a struggle like this, how far can she go?
"Pradesh sarkar bhi kuch game hai jaise cricket, football wagarah ko aage badhawa deti hai. Lekin pole vault ko koi janta nahi hai aur koi badahata nahi hai (The state government backs games like cricket and football but no one knows about pole vault)," Ruchi says.
Inspiration has brought her so far as her elder sister Shail Tewari is a former national gold medallist.
And taking the cue, Ruchi has made great progress in the last 18 months.
Her immediate target is to make it to the senior level but will she have to borrow a pole yet again?
The federation bosses can only answer this question.
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