Several years ago, 55-year-old R. Balakottaiah had to stop playing professional carrom to give priority to his son’s education.
He started working as a sweeper with the Chennai Corporation, in the Tondiarpet market area. Mr. Balakottaiah’s earnings went towards the education of his son, B. Srinivasulu.
Consequently, his son became the first in his family to complete postgraduate studies. After completing a Masters in business administration, his 27-year-old son has emerged the motivating factor for Mr. Balakottaiah’s resuming the game with renewed enthusiasm.
On Monday, both son and father visited Ripon Buildings with Mr. Balakottaiah’s first place trophy won in the national veteran championship held last month in Uttar Pradesh.
“My son is motivating me. I was able to win because of support from my family,” says Mr. Balakottaiah, who was unable to pursue his education after class V.
After a strenuously monotonous session of clearing garbage every day, carrom helps him understand his uniqueness as an individual. “I was able to avoid all habits of a number of the sanitary workers because of carrom,” he says.
However, he was also concerned his son might lose out on his education due to the carrom-craze prevalent in slums of north Chennai. Pointing to social challenges associated with every unorganised group hunched over a carrom board in slums, he stresses the need for proper facilities and a regulatory framework to shape talent.
“After sweeping the streets, I want to teach carrom to young students in slums. I have requested the Corporation for a small room in a slum area to train the youth free of cost,” he says.
