A civil engineering student who has been selected to represent the district in the third World Silambam Championship to be held in Malaysia is running from pillar to post to mobilise funds as his driver father is helpless.
M. Deva, the first-year Civil Engineering student of the United Institute of Technology, Coimbatore, who hailed from Vanniankulam near Uchipuli, has sought the assistance of Collector to realise his dream of taking part in the event.
Armed with a letter given by local MLA M.H. Jawahirullah, he met the Collector on public grievance redressal day on Monday.
The Collector assured to get sponsors for the trip, he said.
The MLA requested the Collector to help the deserving Silambam player to scale new heights and bring laurels to the district.
He was the only player from the district who got selected for the world event to be held in Johur in Malaysia from February 5 to 9.
Deva, who had lost his mother at the age of 12 years, moved to Coimbatore to study from a hostel after his father went to Dubai to take a driver’s job.
He took interest in Silambam, a martial art of Tamil Nadu, at his young age and won a title at the National Silambam Championship when he was a Class IX student.
Recently, he won the black belt certificate, awarded by the World Silambam Federation after clearing different levels of tests.
“I am very keen on taking part in the world level meet and looking for help from sports loving persons and philanthropists,” Deva told The Hindu .
The Tamil Nadu Silambam Amateur Association has asked him to mobilise Rs. 40,000 for the trip, including flight charges, food and accommodation. His father has promised to send some money, he said.
Deva was one of around 70 players selected from Tamil Nadu to represent India in the world championship, association secretary M. Muniasamy said.
As the sport is yet to be recognised by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), the players could not get financial assistance from the government, he said.
The IOA has recently recognised Kalari, a martial art in Kerala, he said adding, “We are also trying hard to get Silambam recognised by the IOA.”
The Association had organised the first World Championship in Nagercoil and the second in Malaysia.
The Malaysian Silambam Association is organising the third meet, organised once in two years, he said.
