Ashima Sharma, Keekli Reporter, September, 2014, Shimla
I Aspire to Play for the Country Someday !!!
A very well-known personality, Bill Gates once said, “Everyone needs a coach. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a basketball player, a tennis player, a gymnast or a bridge player”, but Sparsh Kuthiala from St Thomas School, Shimla has proved that a person can become his/her own coach with sheer dedication, perseverance and hard work.
Sparsh Kuthiala, a state level basketball player started playing the sport at the age of 13. Talking about his inspiration he says, “My biggest inspiration has always been my mother. She is the one who got me interested in sports at a very young age and has always been very encouraging me”.
He has played in several competitions including state level competitions, district level competitions, basketball competitions in dioceses schools (CBSE Cluster) and the All India Mahatma Hans Raj Association (MHRA) Tournaments. He has played a vital role in making his basketball team reach all the way to the finals in the State Level Basket Ball Tournament, semi finals in MHRA tournament and many more such playoffs.
Telling us about the importance of sports in his life, Sparsh says, “I feel that sports, especially when taken up at a young age, helps a person build a strong self-esteem and a confident personality. Basketball requires demanding combination of skill and athleticism”.
Sharing with us his learning experiences he adds, “As long as you know how to dribble the ball and shoot, you can already play the basics of the game. Dribbling is easy as you can learn simply by watching someon
e and that is exactly what I did, however precision comes from practice only. But everything else like the rules of the game, excelling the sports comes with a lot of practice, hard work and commitment. Whenever I get time I try to improve my dribbling and shooting skills, whether I am alone or with friends”.
Parents, teachers and principal play a very important part in shaping a child’s character by being his/her support system. Sparsh tells us about how he retains a balance between his studies and his passion for basketball, he further says, “The support from my parents has been the source of my strength. My mother and aunt both were Badminton players at college, district and state levels. My teachers and School Principal Vidhupriya Chakravarty, have constantly supported my interest and encouraged me to do better by making me the sports captain of the school”.
Asking him about his experience about playing at national level he says, “It would be a dream come true to play at the national level but I am well aware of the fact that I need to work exceptionally hard in order to achieve this dream”.
Along with basketball, he has also played nationals in ice skating and has attended an international camp in Thailand (Bangkok) regarding the same.
Talking about his future plans he concludes, “I have a keen interest in the field of management and my aim is to pursue MBA from one of the best colleges in the country. Along with my studies, I would also like to take my passion for sports to another level by playing at college level and getting more exposure, and who knows may be one day I will be able to fulfill my dream of playing at nationals and one day for the country”.
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