Antra: A disciplined hoopster now soars high in the sky
| Date :22-Jun-2020 |
Antra Mehta (also inset) going for a basket during a match.
By Mahesh S Kale :
ANTRA Mehta, the first woman from Maharashtra to become a fighter pilot, surely left sports and basketball far behind, but her sporting memories are still fresh in the minds of her coaches, teachers and other fellow players who saw her climbing the ladder of success. Antra’s fitness coach and mentor Smita Pande said she still admires Antra’s humble nature. “Antra is a very down to earth as a person. She is kind and humble. Even today when I phoned her, she sounded very normal and simple.
Smita Pande
I have played few games with Antra during the senior district basketball open tournament and I remember she always gave credit to me and other players. She always motivated other players. But as a matter of fact she was the backbone of our Saraswati Kanya Sangh (SKS) team,” Smita, an NIS certified fitness coach told ‘The Hitavada’ Smita stated, “Antra is someone who is always interested in learning new things. She always had a learning aptitude. She would always seek advice and suggestions from trainers, coaches senior and players.” Arvind Garud, Antra’s basketball coach also praised his student who is also a former national-level cager. “Antra is a dashing personality. She was an attacking player on the court but off the court she was very respectful and humble.
Arvind Garud
She was very sincere and used to come all the way from Medical Square to Shankar Nagar for practice. I used to ask other players to emulate Antra’s discipline and sincerity. Antra was a strong pillar of SKS,” said Garud. “I remember it was a Vidarbha-level meet, when Antra completely twisted her ankle in a game. And as a coach I wanted her to stay fit for other upcoming important matches. I asked her not to play in that particular game. But Antra returned to the court with crape bandage. She not only played that particular game but also played all the remaining matches of that tournament including the final,” Garud recalled. “After seeing Antra’s game, Varsha Manohar, the Vice-President of Lady Amritbai Daga College (LAD) and patron of the SKS Club said if all hoopsters imitate Antra’s play, she shall make sure that SKS get the best possible infrastructure and other facilities,” added Garud.
Dr Deepali Kotwal, Principal, LAD College said she remembers Antra being surrounded by young children all the time. “I remember her very clearly. She was always surrounded by children and other basketball players. I met her on the courts of SKS and I can tell she is a very warm and positive girl,” said Kotwal, President of SKS Academy. Fellow team-mate Rutuja Rotkar said sportsmanship is something she has learned from Antra. “Antra is a great example of sportsmanship. I picked that quality from her. Because of Antra I even started working on my fitness and diet. Being senior and having played more than seven national championships at that time, she always motivated and guided us. Even when facing a tough opponent she always kept her calm,” said Rotkar. n