R Muthukutti who received the Palk Bay Stand Up Paddle boarding (SUP) championship.

R Muthukutti, V Muthumariammal and R Ramalakshmi have by no means lived by the ocean. Two out of them don’t swim and have barely had the possibility to come across massive water our bodies.

An everyday day of their life consists of a morning routine involving learning earlier than heading to work at Loyal Mills, Kovilpatti. They piece collectively shirts, pants and different clothes between 8.45am and 5.30pm. Proper after, they head off to work on their language abilities, brush up on dwelling economics and play sports activities on the mill’s studying centre. That is in addition to the hours they put into educating themselves — passing their larger secondary and collegiate schooling.

But, on September 14 and 15, the three girls participated in a 200-metre open dash race on the Palk Bay Stand Up Paddle boarding (SUP) championship at Quest Academy in Ramanathapuram. They got here again dwelling sporting the three shiny medals. Gold, silver and bronze have been theirs to have and maintain regardless of only one week of coaching.

“We didn’t count on it,” says 19-year-old Muthukutti who received the highest spot on the race. Till August, she didn’t swim and had by no means taken a dip within the deep blue sea surrounding Palk Bay. There was no want. She was as a substitute focussed on constructing her profile in Silambam, a sport she had beloved and practised on the Nationwide-level since college. She was additionally focussing on finishing her second 12 months in B.Com at Alagappa College.

“I needed to start working proper after college. The scenario at dwelling demanded it. The programme publish work allowed us to discover our pursuits. I used to be requested to practise and practice others curious about Silambam and that was pleasant,” she says.

One of many occasions of Nationwide Stand-up Paddling Championship being held off Pirappanvalasai seashore close to Uchipuli in Ramanathapuram district in 2022.
| Photograph Credit score:
BALACHANDAR L

In August, she and 4 others together with Muthumariammal and Ramalakshmi visited the Quest Academy as a part of a talent change outreach programme by Loyal Mills and the journey sports activities academy. “We taught them Silambam they usually in flip taught us get up paddling,” she says. Over simply 4 days, the ladies study to steadiness on the board and use their already accessible athletic talents to swiftly emerge as robust, potential opponents within the open class of the get up paddling competitors.

Jehan Driver, coach presenter for the Worldwide Browsing Affiliation and proprietor, Quest Academy, says that the three girls have been initially apprehensive about coming into the water, significantly when going deeper. Nevertheless, they shortly learnt to get on the board and manoeuvre, constructing on talent and endurance. This subsequently helped them once they wanted to make use of quick speedy strokes with good cadence and power throughout the competitors.

Ramalakshmi says that though they competed a month later with none expectations, she was elated to seek out her two colleagues and mates on the end line, grabbing the highest two spots. “I used to be slightly scared at first however enjoying sports activities, each Silambam and SUP, have given me confidence,” she says. Muthumariammal provides that she has loved each little bit of the aggressive nature of sports activities and is trying ahead to extra coaching.

Vishala Ramaswami, government director, Loyal Textiles, says that the organisation has been engaged on bringing uncommon sports activities like fencing, SUP and taekwondo to the youth in tier-two and three cities who not often have entry to such amenities. “We wish our programmes to assist construct self-worth and enrich younger maturity,” she says.

Muthukutti will quickly start coaching for the following match, competing within the nationwide class. She is going to excellent the methods that require her to steadiness and minimize by means of the waves with talent and power. Till then, her schedule on the mill will stay unchanged and her love for silambam will stay on.