When we think about sports, we are reminded of individuals at the prime of their youth. It isn’t often that someone young makes their presence felt. On this Children’s Day, we look at five youngsters who burst into the scene, taking their sport by storm.
Kanak Jha - 14 year-old table tennis player
Earlier this year, Kanak Jha, an American of Indian-origin, was crowned the Champion of the North American Cup. If you are wondering why I am mentioning that, it might be worth noting that it was this title that earned him qualification to the ITTF World Cup. And that made him the youngest player ever in the history of the competition.
In the World Cup that was held in Germany last month, Jha didn’t progress to the knockout stage, for which he would have had to finish in the top two in his three-man group. He did make a mark for himself though, as he pushed the world doubles champion Chen Chien-An of Chinese Taipei to five sets in his opening game.
Jha is still that young that he followed up this World Cup by participating in the ITTF World Cadet Challenge (15 and under) in Barbados. Jha helped his North American team to bronze medal and also won bronze in the boys’ singles event.
Wang Wuka - 4 year-old snooker player
Towards the end of last year, photos and videos of Wang Wuka started going viral in the social media circles. These photos and videos showed Wuka showing off his skills in the snooker table.
Despite being only three years old then, Wuka had spent over two years with the sport. With his father identifying his penchant for snooker and backing it, Wuka has already spent countless hours training to shoot the balls with precision.
And then, Wuka got a chance to meet Stephen Hendry - someone who had become the youngest professional snooker player in 1985 (aged 16) and the youngest-ever snooker World Champion in 1990. Though Hendry retired from the sport in 2012, he is still regarded as among the best to grace the sport.
For someone who is shorter than the table while standing tall, Wuka surely has come a long way already.
Martin Odegaard - 15 year-old footballer
Norway last made their appearance at the FIFA World Cup in France, 1998 - months before Odegaard was born. And in October this year, aged 15 years and 300 days, Odengaard became the youngest player in European Championship history when he came on as a substitute for Norway (his second appearance for his country) in their 2-1 Euro qualifier win over Bulgaria.
Odengaard is an attacking midfielder who currently plies his trade at the club level in the Norwegian Tippeligaen for Stromsgodset. You know how it is in football, don’t you? The hype surrounding the youngster means that he has already drawn considerable interest, even from some of the biggest clubs in the world. With the talent that he has got and the backing, it might not be a surprise if he soon finds himself in one of the big leagues. One only hopes that he is nurtured and groomed well to fulfil his promise.
Cici Bellis - 15 year-old tennis player
When Catherine Cartan Bellis appeared in Court Six at the US Open this year, after receiving a wildcard for winning the US girls’ national championships, to take on Australian Open finalist Dominika Cibulkova, no one really gave her a chance.
But she caused one of the biggest upset of the tournament, defeating Cibulkova 6-1 4-6 6-4, to become the youngest player to win a match at the US Open since Anna Kournikova, who had made it to the fourth round in 1996.
That win quickly elevated her to the position of a fans’ favourite and those supporting her weren’t only from her nationality. A hard-fought defeat against Zarina Diyas, 6-3 0-6 6-2, met the approval of people, but also signalled the end of the fairy tale this time around.
The support of the crowd and the fact that she could compete at the highest level has strengthened Bellis’ belief that she could be the future of American tennis.
Max Verstappen - 17 year-old racing driver
Following his success in Formula 3, Max Verstappen, son of veteran racer Jos, was confirmed as Toro Rosso’s new driver for 2015. If this seems like a success means opportunity story, and you are wondering what the fuss is all about, wait till you hear it out. Verstappen was recruited while he was still 16, an age at which he can’t yet drive legally on the roads of his native country, making him the youngest Formula One driver in history.
In the months that have followed, there has been more. In the Japanese Grand Prix early in October, Verstappen became the youngest to take the wheel of a Formula One car, when he drove during the first practice session. By driving at the age of 17 years and 3 days, he was shaving over two years off Sebastian Vettel’s record (19 years and 53 days).
While the talent of Vettel and current F1 championship leader Lewis Hamilton were also spotted at a similar age, the fact that Verstappen will be in the starting grids of one of the most challenging motorsports next year only shows that he has been deemed fit to compete at the highest level.
