In today’s world, it is interesting to observe a change in the way people perceive children. Once the lowest common denominator of all products and services, they are now at the forefront of a lot of daily activities. An average child today may possess a lot more knowledge than the average adult knew thirty to forty years ago. Apart from the propagation of knowledge, technology has also helped children develop faster. Our little ones are now out there, setting records, making our nation famous and much more. When I visited the Sakal Schoolympics in Pune, it reminded me of what our younger generation is truly capable of achieving. Seeing those children excelling in various sports was a beautiful sight.
As I reached the venue, what I witnessed was unreal – over 30,000 students from over 400 schools participated in the event. The events involved 21 sports which the children had to partake in, in order to compete. The highly energetic way with which these children went about their activities is truly inspiring. On that day, I actually realized that by being a part of this rat race, we often forget to embrace the child in ourselves. The athletic, mischievous side of ours remains unused and unseen for long periods, and often fades away eventually. It is important for our young ones to not leave that side, and even more important for us to create a world where they don’t have to let go of their younger selves. The day that happens, we will have champions, geniuses, creative maestros, etc. in each and every household.
People often say that India has the potential to create even more champions in global events like the Olympics. At the Sakal Schoolympics, I saw a potential champion in every child there. It is our responsibility to make them realize this potential in them and guide them towards victory. Now, as we create a better world as every generation passes, it is time for us to hand the torch to a younger, brighter generation, that will guide the country to a brighter and prosperous tomorrow.