Chithunzi: Twitter Wobadwa mu 1948 ku Punjab, Kamaljeet Sandhu anali wa m'badwo woyamba wa India waulere. Anali ndi mwayi wochita masewera olimbitsa thupi, panthawi yomwe atsikana amaphunzira kusangalala ndi ufulu kunja kwa mabanja awo. Anali mkazi woyamba waku India kupambana mendulo ya golide pa Bangkok Asian Games 1970 mumpikisano wa 400 metres ndi mbiri ya masekondi 57.3. Anasunga mbiri ya dziko lino pa mamita 400 ndi mamita 200 komanso kwa zaka pafupifupi khumi mpaka inathyoledwa ndi Rita Sen wochokera ku Calcutta ndipo kenako ndi P. T. Usha wochokera ku Kerala. Pokhala wa m'banja lophunzitsidwa bwino, Sandhu nthawi zonse ankalimbikitsidwa ndi abambo ake kuti atsatire mtima wake kuyambira ali kusukulu. Bambo ake, Mohinder Singh Kora, anali wosewera hockey m'masiku ake aku koleji ndipo adaseweranso ndi Olympian Balbir Singh.
Kumayambiriro kwa zaka za m’ma 1960, atsikana sankayembekezeredwa kuchita zinthu zolimbitsa thupi zilizonse kupatulapo kuyenda kuchokera pachipata china kupita ku chinzake, komwenso kunali limodzi ndi gulu! Sandhu anasinthiratu chifaniziro cha mtsikana uja ndipo ankalimbana ndi zopinga m’masiku amenewo osati kungochita nawo masewera onse komanso kusiya chidindo m’zonsezo. Anali katswiri wamasewera pafupifupi masewera onse, kaya akhale basketball, hockey, kuthamanga, kapena masewera ena olimbitsa thupi. Izi zinakopa chidwi cha aliyense ndipo, posakhalitsa anathamanga mpikisano wake woyamba wa mamita 400 mu 1967 National Championships, koma chifukwa chosowa luso komanso maphunziro oyenerera, sanathe kumaliza mpikisano wonse. Anataya, koma liwiro lake lodabwitsa linamupangitsa kuti aphunzitsidwe ndi Ajmer Singh, yemwenso adapambana mendulo ya golide pa Masewera aku Asia a 1966.
Maphunziro a amayi kunalibe masiku amenewo; ngakhale National Institute of Sports (NIS) ku Patiala, Punjab, yomwe inakhazikitsidwa mu 1963, inalibe aphunzitsi a amayi. Chifukwa chake zinali zatsopano kwa Ajmer Singh kuphunzitsa wothamanga wamkazi, ndipo Sandhu amangoyenera kutsatira zomwe mphunzitsi wake amachita. Pambuyo pake, adaganiziridwa kuti adzachite nawo Masewera aku Asia a 1970 ndipo adaitanidwa kuti apite kumsasa waufupi mu 1969 ku NIS. Akuluakulu a kumeneko sanamukonde chifukwa cha umunthu wake wamphamvu ndipo ankayembekezera kuti walephera. Koma apanso, adawatsimikizira kuti adalakwitsa popambana masewera awiri owonetsera mayiko asanachitike Masewera aku Asia. Kulimba mtima kwake ndi kutsimikiza mtima kwake zinamupangitsa kuti apambane komanso kutchuka komwe kunali koyenera. Atalandira mendulo ya golide pa Masewera aku Asia a 1970, adalemekezedwa ndi mphotho yolemekezeka ya Padma Shri mu 1971.
Sandhu analinso womaliza pa mpikisano wa mamita 400 pa Masewera a Payunivesite Yapadziko Lonse, Turin, Italy mu 1971. Pambuyo pake adaganiziridwa kuti adzachite nawo Masewera a Olimpiki a Munich mu 1972. Kuti achite bwino, adayamba maphunziro ake ku USA, komwe adapambananso mipikisano yochepa. Komabe, Indian Federation sichinasangalale ndi zomwe anachitazi chifukwa ankafuna kuti atenge nawo mbali pamipikisano yadziko lonse ndi boma. Choncho anadabwa atazindikira kuti dzina lake silinalembetse n’komwe kuchita nawo maseŵera a Olimpiki. M’kupita kwa nthaŵi, anaphatikizidwa m’maseŵerawo, koma izi zinakhudza mkhalidwe wake wamaganizo ndi chikhumbo chake chopambana maseŵera a Olimpiki. Izi zitangochitika, adapuma pantchito yake yothamanga. Adabwereranso kumasewera pomwe adapatsidwa mwayi wophunzitsa ku NIS mu 1975, ndipo adathandizira kwambiri kusintha momwe amaphunzitsira azimayi pamasewera. Chifukwa chake iyi inali nkhani ya Kamaljeet Sandhu, wothamanga wamkazi woyamba waku India kupambana padziko lonse lapansi ndikulimbikitsa azimayi ena ambiri kutsatira zomwe amakonda pamasewera!
Werengani zambiri: Kumanani ndi Padma Shri Geeta Zutshi, yemwe kale anali ngwazi ya Champion Track And Field Athlete
