A national gold medallist with 30 per cent of vision, and daughters of daily-wagers were part of the 22-member “gatka” team that performed in front of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann during the inaugural ceremony of “Khedan Vatan Punjab Dean” today.
All 22 “gatka” players were from Bhuju Khurd village in Bathinda district. Armaandeep Singh, a Class XII student, has a visual disability of 70 per cent. Fighting odds, he has been practising “gatka” for five years.
Jaskaran Singh, who trains Armaandeep, said: “It becomes a little difficult for him to play in the dark, as it happened during Khelo India Youth Games. Good performance is based on great judgement and Armaandeep has this talent. I have taught him some techniques, with which he is able to perform with ease.”
Of the 22 players, eight were girls, most of whom belong to humble background. Among them were Kamalpreet Kaur and Hina, both 17. Kamalpreet’s father is a daily-wager, while Hina’s mother is a safai karamchari at a private school.
Kamalpreet said, “My neighbours mocked my father for allowing me to play. They would always say it was wrong for girls to perform outdoor activities. Now when I am winning medals, everyone asks him about me.”