Striking it big against odds
Ilavazhaki’s
life has all the elements of a fairytale. Growing up in a slum in
Vyasarpadi, she had to work hard for things that most children take for
granted. As a fish-cart puller, her father Irudhayaraj brought home
earnings too meagre to feed a family of five. Ilavazhaki had often
forgone her meals for the sake of her younger sisters, Ilakiya and
Sevanthi. Needless to say, she considered buying school books
unnecessary expenditure for her struggling family. And there was no
bitterness when she had to discontinue studies after class IX.
But
for a square-shaped wooden board, Ilavazhaki’s life would have been
totally devoid of hope. She was six when she first tried a hand at
carrom. This was not surprising, because the game is an integral part of
life in the slums. Often, a carrom board is the only entertainment
slum-dwellers can afford. Many of India’s greatest carrom players are
from the slums.
Watching
his eldest daughter play, Irudhayaraj, a competitive carrom player
himself, realised early that his family had an exceptionally talented
child. Driven by ambition to make Ilavazhaki famous, he found the energy
to train her everyday, after spending tiresome hours on the road.
Dad’s determination
His
efforts were not in vain. Winning the junior nationals thrice,
Ilavazhaki was well on track for the kind of glory that he wished for
her. And she kept his hope alive after graduating to the women’s
category, winning three golds in the Asian championship in 2005 and
picking up another three in the SAARC championship, held the same year.
The moment daughter and father were waiting for arrived in 2006. After
striking it rich again in the SAARC championship, she won the World
Championship in New Delhi.
Until
this victory, Ilavazhaki was in the shade. Winning the world
championship made her known beyond the small circle of players and
followers, which is the world of carrom. Recognition of her talent did
little to change the condition she and her family lived in. Her family
still struggled due to the lack of any substantial income. Ilavazhaki
has a form of hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating), induced by her
anxieties about her family. To her credit, she crafted some of her
brilliant victories despite being handicapped by sweaty palms.
The
tide turned in the early part of this year. Days before she left for
Cannes to compete in the Fifth World Carrom Championship, she was
offered a job as sports secretary by the Sri Ramanujar Engineering
College (Vandalur), known for its interest in improving the lot of
brilliant sport persons battling difficult financial situations.
After
Cannes, which saw her crowned world champion for the second time, life
has not been the same. Her position as sports secretary in the college
meant she could be a student again. To help her make up for the lost
years, she is being trained how to use a computer and speak English. She
has also joined a meditation programme to help her deal with the
psychological problem that makes her palms sweat. The college management
is willing to give her father a job as a driver, provided he gets a
licence. Having enrolled for driving lessons, the fish-cart puller is
working towards it. A seat, in a polytechnic or an engineering course,
is reserved for one of her sisters, Sevanthi, who is in class X.
Suddenly,
everything seems to be falling in Ilavazhaki’s lap. Following her
Cannes victory, the Tamil Nadu Government gave her a cash prize of Rs.
10 lakh. A few companies are keen to have her as their brand ambassador.
The All India Carrom Federation is campaigning for an Arjuna Award for
Ilavazhaki. If she gets it, she will become the first woman carrom
player to be thus honoured. And, what’s more, it will be the perfect
culmination for a fairytale.
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