Bicycle girl wants to study
Fifteen-year-old Jyoti Kumari earned global fame after recently carrying her injured father, Mohan Paswan, on a bicycle from Gurugram, Haryana, to Darbhanga, Bihar, a nearly 1,200km trip over seven days, in the lockdown. “If I hadn’t, my father would have died of hunger,” she says.
Paswan, a rickshaw driver, had an accident which affected his legs, hence his livelihood. “Problems increased after the lockdown. Our landlord wanted to throw us out. He cut the power twice as we couldn’t pay the rent. Since my father had no income, we thought of returning home somehow.”
But her father was sceptical if she’d be able to make it. “He repeatedly told me I won’t be able to manage it. I withdrew ₹1,000 from the bank and collected ₹500 for a secondhand cycle. I would ride the bike for more than 50-60km every day. We’d stop at a petrol pump, spend the night there. People offered us food. Whenever we could, we would hitch rides,” she explains.
Jyoti’s act got the attention
of many, including Ivanka Trump, daughter of US President Donald Trump. She also received a training offer from the Cycling Federation of India. The district magistrate of Darbhanga has enrolled her in class nine in a school there. “I want to study so my father doesn’t have to migrate for work again,” she adds.
Alot of matches were in the pipeline, such as the Indian Premiere League, T20 World Cup and one-day internationals. But now, all of it is on hold because of the current situation,” says cricketer Kuldeep Yadav. Though the lockdown has upset the apple cart, Yadav says “safety comes first”. He shares, “We were busy training, practising and doing net sessions before the pandemic broke out. We’re all geared to get back to playing, but we need to be safe and sound [first].”
The spinner reveals that he has gone back to his old hobby and is enjoying it. “Painting is something that I did as a child. I’ve picked up the brush again during the lockdown. I’ve created some art and put them out on my digital platforms. It’s nice to get appreciation for it,” Yadav, 25, says.
Talking about spending quality time with his family in his home town, Kanpur (Uttar Pradesh), he says, “We had been touring a lot prior to the lockdown... so, it’s a delight to spend time with family. It’s been over two months of bonding with each other. But we are waiting to get back to our respective professions.”
So what does he miss the most about cricket? “I don’t have an outdoor field and I miss bowling the most. I can’t wait to start spinning,” says Yadav.
He, however, has found ways to keep himself motivated. “I stay in touch with my coach. We discuss matches, analyse my skills and watch a lot of videos together. He shares his experiences with me and that’s helping me improve myself,” he says, adding, “Our association also arranges calls with the state team and that’s the best way to motivate each other during this period.”
Fitness, he shares, is an essential part of his routine much like any other sportsperson. Being unable to train himself outdoors, he has modified his fitness regime. “I’m doing some indoor training as suggested by my trainer and keeping a check on my diet, which is of utmost importance,” the cricketer adds.