‘Dhanashree’s determination is at a different level’
| Date :29-May-2020 |
By Mahesh S Kale :
A CHILD’s first teacher is always its mother. City’s ace yoga player Dhanashree Lekurwale has been lucky that she began her yoga journey under her mother’s guidance. Dhanashree, who has won several gold medals in state, national and international championships, was introduced to yoga by her mother Prema who herself is an exceptional yoga practitioner and till date takes part in yoga championships. For the records, Dhanashree has won gold medals in 24th Amateur World Yoga Sports Championship 2015 at Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, 5th Asian Yoga Sports Championship 2015 at Bangkok in Thailand, 7th Asian Yoga Sports Championship 2017 at Singapore, 5th Asian Yoga Sports Championship 2014 at Seoul in South Korea.
She has also been awarded with Maharashtra Ratna 2017, Gold Star Asian International Award 2017, Nagpur Bhushan Puraskar 2016, and Women Bhaskar Award 2017. The star player, who recently bagged two golds and one bronze medal at the 9th Asian Yoga Sports Championship-2019 held in South Korea, began her yoga training and also won her first gold medal when she was seven.
“Dhanashree was always into sports. For that matter all my three children were into sports. Initially her elder sister Prajakta was more into gymnastics while Dhanashree was into swimming and volleyball. But later when Dhanashree turned seven she started practising yoga and in the same year she even bagged her first gold medal at the district level championship,” said her mother, a professor at Renuka College, Besa. Dhanashree, who has won over 20 gold medals at the national level, started training more rigorously when she got bronze medal at the 50th National School Games in 2005. “Before 2005 she used to train for around three hours. But after getting bronze at the 50th National School Games her approach towards training changed.
Dhanashree is someone who hates losing the top spot. She started training for 6-7 hours daily. In the morning she used to begin her practice at six and would finish around two pm. Later, she used to have lunch and would carry out other activities,” said Prema while talking with ‘The Hitavada’. The mother added, “Dhanashree is very hard working and her determination is now all together at a different level. I think it’s her hard work that fetched her medals at national and international levels. I have even seen her practising for more than 10 hours a day when preparing for an international meet. Earlier, I never thought she would climb the ladder this high but I guess its her constant practice and training that has paid off.” Dhanashree, who is known as the ‘Golden Girl’ because of her excellent habit of winning gold in every competition has also encountered disappointment and frustration on several instances. “In 2019 at the 44th Senior Yoga Sports Championship, Rajasthan won silver medal in rhythmic yoga.
In rhythmic yoga, points are given on the basis of how you perform the asanas as a couple that too in a time frame of 2 minutes and 27 secs. Dhanashree was very upset because her partner didn’t perform up to the mark. I explained Dhanashree that she can’t win every time as there are other players who are also giving their best. I also told her that it was not right to blame your partner. After all it’s a game. Winning and losing are a part of it,” Prema said. Dhanashree, who now participates in all the major championships across the globe, was earlier not in a position to afford the travelling expenses that would occur during an international tour. “International tours are very expensive. They normally cost over Rs 1.25 lakh. We were asked to pay Rs 2 lakh in advance for Vietnam tour.
That was out of our budged and we had to skip that meet. But Malaysia tour was within our budget as the expenses were around a lakh. Now, Dhanashree is able to take part in all the major championships thanks to our citizens who generously donate funds so that she could travel abroad. “I would like to thank politicians, media houses, prominent personalities from business background and other well-wishers who helped us financially for Dhanashree’s tours,” Prema said. Dhanashree has won yellow metals on several international occasions but winning gold at the World Yoga Championship in Malaysia was an extra special moment for the Lekurwale family. “Right before her Malaysia tour in 2013, Dhanashree underwent a neck surgery as she had developed a lump in her nape.
Doctors had advised her not to put any sort of strain on the neck. But Dhanashree decided to participate in the meet. Before leaving the airport she even promised me of brining at least one medal. The day she returned she had two golds and three silver medals in her hand. That was truly a special moment for all of us,” said Prema. “When Dhanashree won gold in Rhythmic yoga at the Asian Yoga Sports Championship 2014 in Seoul, South Korea. The Korean authorities had put Dhanashree’s poster on either sides of the road, all the way from Stadium to the Incheon International Airport. And when I saw those pictures I was the proudest mother on earth. I almost had tears in my eyes,” Prema signed off.