Jailed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa's son Aicheng Rajkonwar (also called Gadadhar Rajkonwar) has made it to the 13-member roller skating squad of Assam that will take part in the National School Games to be held in Delhi from December 28 to January 2.
The team was announced by the Assam Roller Skating Association here on Wednesday. The selection trial was held at Rudrasingha Sports Complex here on Monday.
‘Busy practising'
“A student of Class IV of the Delhi Public School in Digboi, Aicheng is busy practising at the basketball court of his school as part of his preparation for the national sports meet,” general secretary of the Assam Roller Skating Association Bhumidhar Barman told The Hindu.
The 13-member Assam team, comprising 11 boys and two girls, will leave for Delhi on December 26. This is the second time Assam is taking part in the roller skating event in the National School Games.
No skate ring
“We spotted Aicheng's skating talent during a camp held at the Don Bosco School in Guwahati in July. He took part in the camp in response to our invitation issued through newspapers to skaters in the State for participation in the camp. Our president M. Ahmed and all office bearers of the association put maximum efforts towards sending a bigger team of skaters this time. However, we still do not have a skate ring in the State. Last time, we sent only a six-member skaters' squad. We hope that our young skaters will steal the show in the National School Games this time,” Mr. Barman said.
In Bangladesh
Aicheng reportedly learnt skating skills in Bangladesh and also attracted attention during his participation in a sports meet there when his family was taking shelter in Dhaka prior to his father's arrest and his subsequent handing over to the Indian authorities in December 2009.
Family arrested
Rajkhowa's wife Kaberi Kachari, daughter Khonsang Bohagi Rajkonwar and Aicheng were among the seven family members of the arrested ULFA leaders who “surrendered” before the Border Security Force in the Dawki sector of the India-Bangladesh border in Meghalaya, along with Rajkhowa and ULFA deputy Commander-in-Chief Raju Baruah. Initially kept under police protection for some time, the ULFA leaders' family members were later allowed to travel free.
The ULFA chairmam's family later moved to his ancestral house at Lakwa in Sivasagar district.
