Former Kabaddi star Ramesh Kumar Sahu champions youth training in Jamshedpur

Ranchi: Ramesh Kumar Sahu (56), a former international kabaddi player, has dedicated nearly three decades of his life to training young players from marginalised families at the Brij Mangal Singh Club’s kabaddi ground in Jamshedpur.

Sahu has enabled many of his trainees to participate in national and international kabaddi tournaments.“Many youngsters are eager to learn the game, but Jamshedpur lacks adequate sports infrastructure, especially for kabaddi. Realising this gap, some friends and I began training youths in the city back in the 1990s, free of cost,” said Sahu, who was part of the silver medal-winning team at the sub-junior nationals in 1983.Since then, nearly 50 players have gone on to represent Jharkhand and the country at various national and international-level tournaments, he said.Sahu’s initiatives have not only kept the youngsters of the Steel City fit but also helped them refrain from substance abuse, contributing to a healthier society.

“Kabaddi is my lifeline. For me, it is not just a sport but a means to keep away from substance abuse and harmful distractions.

Introducing children to sports at an early age instils discipline that stays with them for life. My primary goal has always been to protect the young from the grip of addiction, and I chose sports as the path to achieve that,” Sahu said.In addition to coaching, Sahu has personally funded his trainees’ needs from his pocket as they come from lower-income backgrounds. He has appealed to the authorities concerned to establish kabaddi training facilities in Jamshedpur to provide budding talents with the opportunities to excel in their sporting careers.The former national player further called on the govt to upgrade other sports infrastructure also, to ensure a better future for the aspiring players.