Sonith is almost four feet high, studies in Class II, and climbs the mallakhamb pole twice his height like he owns it. Each time he tries a particularly complicated manoeuvre, his 20-year-old teammate takes two steps closer and stands by, just in case. But the little athlete doesn’t need it: he balances himself on the vertical shaft using just his ankles, and then just his arms, looking more and more like a contortionist with each move.
He isn’t the only one: about 20 competitive mallakambh athletes, from eight-year-olds to those in their mid-twenties, showed off their abilities at MCC Higher Secondary School grounds on Sunday, at an event organised by the city-based Colours of Glory Foundation.
The event is a re-enactment of the role of Indian sepoys at the Battle of Haifa in the First World War. To mark its 101st anniversary, soldiers of the Indian Army dressed in the sepoy costume of that period charged on horseback across the field. Military tatto, a display of non-combatic talent, was also part of the show; it featured cadets on horseback from the prestigious Officers Training Academy and National Cadet Corps, with a veteran aeromodellar and a precise, flawless marching band.
CHENNAI, 11/08/2019, For City/Metro Plus : With flying colours : Officers Training Academy (OTA) horse riders display Equestrian and tent pegging skills during a Colours of Glory - Military Tattoo - cum - Battle Re-enactment, at MCC Higher Secondary School, Chetpet in Chennai on Sunday. Photo: B. Jothi Ramalingam / The Hindu
CHENNAI, 11/08/2019, For City/Metro Plus : With flying colours : Officers Training Academy (OTA) cadets Battle Re-enactment skills during a Colours of Glory - Military Tattoo - cum - Battle Re-enactment, at MCC Higher Secondary School, Chetpet in Chennai on Sunday. Photo: B. Jothi Ramalingam / The Hindu
- The Battle of Haifa was fought on September 23, 1918 between the Turks and troops of the then-British Empire, the latter comprising entirely of Indian soldiers.
- It was the last battle in the world to have been fought entirely on cavalry.
- The army was rare for its time, because it comprised entirely of Indian sepoys and officers, with no Englishman leading the charge.
- The soldiers were from Jodhpur Lancers and Mysore Lancers.
- Eight Indian sepoys lost their lives, and a total of 36 gallantry awards were given. The Turks were defeated.
CHENNAI, 11/08/2019, For City/Metro Plus : With flying colours : Officers Training Academy (OTA) cadets Battle Re-enactment skills during a Colours of Glory - Military Tattoo - cum - Battle Re-enactment, at MCC Higher Secondary School, Chetpet in Chennai on Sunday. Photo: B. Jothi Ramalingam / The Hindu
However, the mallakhamb athletes stole the show, treating the air like solid ground, and flimsy ropes like stepping stones. The audience comprised war veterans, military cadets and civilians — and they managed to impress all.
They were led by a member of the Railway Protection Force, Prakash S. When he started training people inmallakambh in 2007, Prakash had the unequivocal support of his workplace, but only three students. “Now I have about 100 students at my centre in Anna Nagar,” says the joint secretary of Mallakhamb Federation of India, who has been offering this training free of cost to all his students, and continues to do so at his Tamizhan Mallakhamb Training Academy in Anna Nagar. Everything from equipment and safety mats to the training space is paid for from his own pocket.
CHENNAI, 11/08/2019, For City/Metro Plus : With flying colours : Maalkhmb skills during a Colours of Glory - Military Tattoo - cum - Battle Re-enactment, at MCC Higher Secondary School, Chetpet in Chennai on Sunday. Photo: B. Jothi Ramalingam / The Hindu
He must be doing something right, because his students have stood proud on both State and National-level medal podiums for this ancient traditional sport. The lineup of his students — the ones who performed in Chetpet over the weekend — ranged from State silver medallists to National gold winners. He is easy on his students: though he is flexible with their time schedules and availability, he insists that they train for an hour at a stretch once they do manage to reach the training mat.
Not everyone makes it to the pole or rope, though. “Initially, we do some rounds of exercises and warm-ups. All the moves that we perform on the pole, we begin practising on the ground first: this also because some of the smaller children are too scared to climb the pole straight away. The girls start with rope and boys with pole. Boys can only move to rope after they turn 18. “Sir decides who is ready to start climbing and who isn’t,” says Ashok, a National bronze medallist and student who has been training with Prakash for about nine years now. That decision, adds the coach, is based on both the physical structure and mental ability of his students.
CHENNAI, 11/08/2019, For City/Metro Plus : With flying colours : Maalkhmb skills during a Colours of Glory - Military Tattoo - cum - Battle Re-enactment, at MCC Higher Secondary School, Chetpet in Chennai on Sunday. Photo: B. Jothi Ramalingam / The Hindu
There is no end to training, says Prakash. But it isn’t just his long-term students who are bringing in the laurels: those performing at Sunday’s event are his top brass, and include some comparatively recent entrants as well. Prakash himself trained for three years, from 2001 to 2004, and had to put it on hold when he joined the RPF. But he couldn’t let go of it completely, and taught when he could. “The RPF officers and my department are very supportive. They want me to take my students to the next level,” he smiles.
