Shubham following grandfather’s sport
| Date :02-Jul-2020 |
(Clockwise from left) Shubham Palkar during his raid for Dabang Delhi in Season 5 of the Pro Kabaddi League. Shubham with his family members. Shubham representing Gujarat Fortunegiants in Pro Kabaddi Season Six.
By Mahesh S Kale ;
HE COULD have picked hockey stick like his father Ashok, but Shubham Palkar preferred to shine in the mud and followed his grandparents’ sport—kabaddi. The decision did not disappoint Shubham or his family members. Shubham climbed the ladder in kabaddi remarkably and is now an acclaimed kabaddi player not only in Nagpur but all over the country, thanks to Pro Kabaddi League. The star raider actually began his journey from where his grandfather and grand uncle had left. Shubham, who has represented Dabang Delhi and Gujarat Fortunegiants in the Pro Kabaddi League, never imagined that he would excel in the same sport which his grandfather and grand uncle used to play.
Also, he had never expected that he would begin his journey on the very same ground where once his grandfather had excelled. The ace raider, who has played eight national championships till date, began his journey at a very young age. “From his childhood Shubham was fascinated with kabaddi. I think he was five when he started playing at the Maratha Lancer Academy, Mahal. I never saw him playing any other sport. Most of the children usually go for cricket or badminton. But in Shubham’s case it was totally different. I think he somehow got that from his grandfather and grand uncle who were also good kabaddi players,” recalled his father Ashok who himself was a national-level hockey player.
The raider, who normally plays from left corner, won his first national title when he was in class seventh. “Shubham must have been in class seven when he won his first Under-14 National School Games tournament at Karnataka in 2011. I think this win boosted his confidence. After that title win he never looked back. Also it was Shubham’s final raid that gave Gayatri Convent their first ever victory in Under-17 DSO Championship,” said Ashok while talking to ‘The Hitavada’. He added, “After winning a national and three to four state championships, he started practising more rigorously at the academy.
His coaches Tajsingh Jadhav, Raju Trivedi and Mahesh Wadulkar also helped him in improving his diving technique and fitness.” Ashok said, “earlier I used to think that he would play kabaddi for a certain period of time and then later would get into some sort of 9 to 5 job. But after seeing his dedication and hard work on the ground my thinking changed. I started believing that one day he would climb the ladder very high.” Ashok also mentioned about the difficulties and tough times that he encountered during Shubham’s kabaddi career. “Kabaddi is not a glamorous sport like cricket and football. Kabaddi still does not get sufficient funding in comparison to other sports.
And hence the returns are also not that great. Even in a sport like kabaddi you have to spend a significant amount of money on expensive diets, training gear and fitness equipment. Being from a middle-class background, at times these expenses did put a heavy burden on my pocket. At times I had to leave my job aside so that I could travel with him during his outstation tournaments. But as parents we wholeheartedly supported Shubham in our own way and capacity,” said Ashok.
The retired bus conductor also stated, “athletes normally dedicate their entire life to a particular sport and hence they lack in academics and are unable to find a descent job. I would request the government to invest more in kabaddi so that the upcoming kabaddi players will remain in a better position even after their sporting career are over.” Shubham, who has played eight games for Dabang Delhi in Season 5 and four games for Gujarat Fortunegiants in Season 6, has made everyone proud including his parents, relatives and friends. “Shubham has made all of us proud. But the proudest moment was when we saw Shubham live on the television during the Pro Kabaddi League.
Shubham has won many individual awards like TV’s, refrigerators, toasters, air conditioners but I will never forget the moment when he gifted me a motorcycle which he had won during one of his national tournaments. Normally it is the father who gifts the bike to his son but I am glad that I am still riding the motorcycle gifted to me by my son,” said Ashok. “Many children from our locality come to me and say that they want to become like Shubham dada, which really make me a proud father,” he concluded.