Khelshala

The Anniversary

2010-08-13T09:55:00.000-07:00

Khelshala celebrated its first anniversary today in style. The finals of each division were played and spectators included the parents of many of the children, several media representatives, sponsors,, national sports celebrities, and general supporters including Darius Pandole, member of the Harvard squash team who graduated in 1988. The mayor visited as well, but briefly. For the children, the highlight while at Khelshala was being interviewed by the NDTV Delhi anchorwoman, who sat down amongst them to talk with them, besides filming them on the court and interacting off the court.

After the tournament finals, we took the children out to dinner to a Hot Millions (believe it or not!) restaurant in Sector 35-- a different one than the one we visited as a team, but the children loved it nevertheless. Besides dressing up for the occasion, they showed us their many, many dance moves. The restaurant had a dance floor and DJ; needless to say, the children went wild. Manjit brought out the moves he showed us in January, and clearly set an example along with Sandeep and Ritesh (above). It was an evening that they will remember fondly.

A few articles have been published about the event already, and there will be more to come. In addition, three news channels will be airing parts of the anniversary. Below are the links to the articles on Yahoo! India and Indian Express.

http://in.news.yahoo.com/48/20100814/1252/tsp-khelshala-completes-successful-one-y.html

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Khelshala-completes-successful-one-year/660266

In the News

2010-08-11T21:42:00.001-07:00

Khelshala was featured in the Tribune this morning. Click on the photo above or read the article at http://www.tribuneindia.com/2010/20100812/ttlife.htm !

Duck Duck Juice

2010-08-11T06:07:00.000-07:00

The Khelshala children have begun their tournament, and upsets are abound! It could be the nerves of playing their first tournament-- though in-house-- but regardless, they have coped very well and are proving to be tough competitors. It's down to the semifinals, and the finals will be played during the anniversary celebrations on Friday.

Yesterday a reporter from the Tribune, a local newspaper, visited the facility for a feature that will hopefully bring Khelshala some more publicity before the Friday celebrations. The reporter and photographers saw the children in action playing squash, but also enjoying a revival of Duck Duck Goose, played in the doubles court. There was a variety of interpretations of what exactly to say, including "Duck Duck Juice," "Duck Duck Dhoose," and "Duck Duck Boose." I believe the majority settled for "Duck Duck Juice."

On Friday, NDTV, a national news channel, will be doing a story on Khelshala and how much the organization has done for the children of Attawa. In particular, they will be focusing on Manjit and his experience. The anchor and her crew plan to visit his home and family, in addition to filming him playing squash at Khelshala. NDTV has a live online feed, so in case it appears online, keep an eye out!

Match Day

2010-08-08T09:06:00.000-07:00

In preparation for their upcoming tournament to mark the first anniversary of Khelshala, the children played matches today within their groups. Their improvement since January has been phenomenal, and it is wonderful to see them enjoying the sport as much as they are.

Manjit is back, and has been welcomed with open arms. He, along with many others, are looking forward to the tournament this week as it will give them an opportunity to exhibit their skills for their peers, coaches, and press, who will all be present for the final matches on Friday. Representatives from local papers and possibly news channels will make an appearance to give Khelshala even more publicity than it has garnered in the past few weeks with Coach Baj's fundraising clinics in Bangalore.

Besides the media, however, the crowd present at the anniversary celebration will include a few local and national sports celebrities, sponsors, and parents of the participants. Khelshala volunteers are organizing a Langar, or community luncheon, to mark the anniversary and to feed the entire village. The event promises to be exciting and unforgettable.

They Remember

2010-08-06T11:07:00.000-07:00

Every Khelshala child who was part of the program in January remembers the members of the Harvard team in great detail-- the fist bumps, the macarena, the high fives, and other American cultural elements that brought us closer to them. They ask repeatedly for "Ali Madam" and want to know why the rest of the team hasn't come to work with them again. The girls ask to play the animal game every day. They are enthusiastic beyond belief and now have matching red Khelshala shirts that they wear to the program every day.

There are three groups of children-- Group 1 consists of the older boys and better players, Group 2 of the younger boys, and Group 3 of the girls. Most of the children who were there in January continue to go, but there are some who no longer do. Ritesh has the same smile as ever, and though it's too hot now for him to wear his cookie-monster sweater (remember, team?) he is one of the happiest children there. Khusma is equipped with the same temper, but enjoys herself all the same. Manjeet, our bhangra choreographer, visits occasionally but hasn't had a chance to play much recently. There are a few self-appointed interpreters who have been trying to teach me Hindi from their own textbooks. They've taught me to say "dog" and "cat." I see more animal games in my near future.

During the week, one group plays squash on the two courts while one group has academic lessons

and the other has music lessons, learning to play

and accompany different Indian instruments. They display talent in all areas, and it is Coach Baj's aim to get a few of them to play the junior nationals in October. There are many with the kind of passion it takes to succeed and who have dramatically improved since we saw them last. It is only a matter of time until they make their mark in the squash world.

Coming Back to Khelshala

2010-08-01T11:10:00.000-07:00

It's been almost a year since Coach Baj first opened Khelshala and over half a year since the Harvard women's team was there. I am happy to report that in the meantime, it has thrived and flourished under Baj's watchful eye. We will soon be celebrating the facility and program's first anniversary. Since January, changes and expansions have been numerous and vast.

In addition to receiving squash coaching, academic guidance, and yoga lessons, children who come to Khelshala can now learn music as well. The program offers them an enriching and unmatched cultural balance. The current program runs on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and weekends.

The room that was formerly the yoga room has expanded into a weights room, and the other exercise equipment that was downstairs is now in the corridor that previously held weight machines. In addition, there is a new reception area outside the weights room. But the facility retains its warmth, and I am excited to see the children in action tomorrow!

In addition, stay tuned for a new and improved website that will be unveiled soon, complete with updates, events, and general information.