: Sarika Kale, The Inspiring Arjuna Awardee Who Ate Just 1 Meal a Day for Years #IndiaNEWS #Sports In a historic moment for Kho Kho, a popular tag game invented in Maharashtra, Sarika Kale from Osmanabad,

Sarika Kale, The Inspiring Arjuna Awardee Who Ate Just 1 Meal a Day for Years #IndiaNEWS #Sports
In a historic moment for Kho Kho, a popular tag game invented in Maharashtra, Sarika Kale from Osmanabad, was awarded the prestigious Arjuna Award for this year, and will be presented with it during a virtual ceremony on 29 August, which happens to be National Sports Day.
This is the first time in 22 years that a Kho Kho player is receiving the Arjuna Award, and the 27-year-old, who is the former Indian women’s Kho Kho captain, could not be more thrilled.
She has played over a hundred matches, including 22 at the National level and she also led the national team to clinch a gold at the 12th South Asian Games (SAG) in Guwahati in 2016. Her spectacular performance and excellent judgment of direction were also displayed in the Asian Kho-Kho championship in Indore (2016). The team did not lose a single match in the series and clinched the cup after defeating Bangladesh in the finals. Following the win, Sarika was adjudged the best player and won a cash prize of Rs 51,000.
While the award is no doubt a milestone in her career, what is truly impressive is Sarika’s journey, which started in Ruibhar, a small village in Osmanabad. From being able to afford just one meal a day to working as a sports officer with the Maharashtra government, and winning the ‘Best Player Award’ in England (2017) the feisty woman braved all odds, charted her own destiny and defeated her deplorable circumstances to follow her one true passion Kho Kho.
“Winning this prestigious award is a very huge deal. It not only recognises my hard work but also significantly raises the bar for an indigenous sport that deserves the nation’s attention. Through this award at least now people will know what the game is all about. I am very proud to receive the award and I hope to make the country proud as many times as possible in the future. I dedicate this award to my family, coach and every girl who wishes to make a career in sports,??? an overwhelmed Sarika tells The Better India.
Sarika at an award function
Recalling the moment when her coach, Chandrajit Jadhav broke the news to her at her house she says, “It was an extremely emotional moment for all of us. This time, I shed tears of joy. ???
Passion For the Sport
Kho Kho is a very popular sport in Maharashtra. Like cricket, this game also has a batting (runners) and fielding side (chasers). It is played with twelve nominated players in each team. The objective is to avoid getting touched by the opponent, and it requires immense stamina, speed and flexibility.
While the game was an integral part of Sarika’s childhood, she didn’t realise that she could make a career out of playing it, until she met Chandrajit, who was bowled over by her talent.

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