Athletics
Tokyo Olympics: How Rahul Dravid helped Kamalpreet Kaur before Tokyo Olympics?
Kamalpreet Kaur is supported by the Go Sports Foundation through the Rahul Dravid Athlete Mentorship Program
Kamlpreet Kaur (Source: Getty Images)
One of the greatest batsmen to ever grace the sport of cricket, Rahul Dravid has left a unique legacy. A master technician in the longest format of the game, a patient champion, and a gentleman through and through, Dravid defines every quality an individual needs to succeed in sport and in life.
Ever since he hung up his boots, Dravid has continued to work tirelessly for the benefit of Indian sports. The historic victory at the Gabba where an almost second-string Indian side marred by injuries and COVID protocols took on a formidable opponent and emerged victoriously was just a small glimpse of the work Dravid has done behind the scenes. Players like Rishabh Pant, Shubman Gill, Prithvi Shaw, Washington Sundar, and several others owe a ton to Dravid's tutelage during his India A days as well as in the NCA Academy.
But most of you are probably familiar with that. What you probably aren't aware of is how Rahul Dravid has also helped Kamalpreet Kaur with resources that further helped her to become the world-class Olympic athlete that she is today.
Kamalpreet, a crazy cricket enthusiast, has always looked up to players like Virender Sehwag, who shared the Indian dressing room with Dravid. Initially, the 25-year-old was interested in shot put but she switched to discus throw after joining the SAI centre just outside her village in Badal.
There, she earned the support of the Go Sports Foundation through the Rahul Dravid Athlete Mentorship Program. This mentorship program tries to identify talent across Olympic sports in India and help nurture their potential to attain worldwide success. The goal is to transform these athletes into positive catalysts for Indian sports.
Dravid and his team of experts personally mentor and offer advice to the athletes under this program. The creation of a healthy and positive sporting environment conducive to growth and success is a key element of the Rahul Dravid Athlete Mentorship Program.
Kamalpreet isn't the only one on this list. Dravid has also directly or indirectly helped athletes such as Dipa Karmakar, Anjum Moudgil, Sajan Prakash, Sathiyan Gnanasekaran, Bhavani Devi, and Sai Praneeth, among others. Several of them had represented India at the Tokyo Olympics.
