The list of 15 athletes selected for this year’s Rahul Dravid athlete mentorship programme initiated and sponsored by the sports NGO GoSports Foundation was announced at a gathering here on Sunday.
Rahul Dravid, who is in the city for his first assignment as India ‘A’ coach, expressed his delight at the accommodation of more beneficiaries from varied disciplines this year and went on to call them “heroes” for having made it to the final list after a rigorous selection process.
“They are already heroes. With my involvement, I hope to make a little bit of difference in their sporting careers,” he said.
Fencer C.A. Bhavani Devi said that she was thrilled at the prospect of being mentored by Rahul Dravid and expressed her relief at the timely financial support to fuel her sporting aspirations, for her family’s only source of income is whatever her father earns as a temple priest.
“I was seeking a scholarship that included financial assistance. I’m happy that I’ve got selected. I hope to get all mental aspects covered under the mentorship of Rahul Dravid.”
Dravid’s roleBadminton player H.S. Prannoy, one of the three sportspersons who benefitted from the programme last year, said: “When a person like Rahul Dravid guides you with his inputs it really gets to you better than any advice from any other source.
“With a wealth of experience behind him, he shares instances from his own life, both professional and personal, whenever we seek him for advice to overcome any difficulty. His guidance changed my approach towards the game and the results started showing up.”
Deepthi Bopaiah, Marketing Director, GoSports Foundation, said that they had received 178 applications in total.
She added that the final round in the selection process, an interview was conducted by an eminent panel featuring actor Rahul Bose.
