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Srikkanth

@Srikkanth_07

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Journalist

Chennai, India
Joined September 2020
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@Srikkanth_07
Srikkanth
2 years
#Chennai: Twenty years ago, police arrested a man on attempt-to-murder charges. At final hearing, an astute sequence of cross-examination by a lawyer revealed that Police paid money to a man to file the complaint. The events that led to the revelation 👇🏻
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@Srikkanth_07
Srikkanth
5 hours
The neighbourhood where the Dombara Community live is christened MGR Nagar, after the late matinee idol turned Chief Minister. Not just that of the neighbourhood, even the people's names are borrowed from the silver screen. At MGR Nagar, there are men named Sivaji, Rajini,
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@Srikkanth_07
Srikkanth
5 hours
P.S: Senior gymnast S Sneha, one of the first students at the Karattupalayam centre, who was preparing for her interview and physical tests for the NIS coaching diploma (mandatory to be appointed as a regular coach) when DT Next visited Karattupalayam got selected for the
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@Srikkanth_07
Srikkanth
5 hours
Did coach Dhanabagyam foresee staying in Karattupalayam for 15 years? . Without battling an eyelid, she says, "Definitely. Because, a woman coach is needed for them. My wish is to make some of them national champions, bring good infrastructure and help them get government jobs.
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Srikkanth
5 hours
The coach, however is of the opinion that the villagers have still not understood the essence of sports and how it helps in life. She knows all too well that the mindset change can be brought about only by the gymnastics students themselves and is pining her hopes on her senior
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Srikkanth
5 hours
For some like Shivaji, a village elder, it is a matter of rationality. "My point is, Acrobatics is what we did. We used to perform on the street and seek alms and over time, we abandoned it because we did not want to seek alms and took up labour work. The government said that
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@Srikkanth_07
Srikkanth
5 hours
"One major reason is that many of us leave as early as 4 am to look for work as casual labourers and construction work and since we travel as large groups, most of them find it difficult to drop and pick up the children at the gymnastics centre, which is 2 kms from where we live.
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@Srikkanth_07
Srikkanth
5 hours
Despite government support and a committed coach, the patronage from the Dombara elders have been fluctuating over the years and barring the half a dozen seniors who have stayed since the centre was inaugurated, there have been several drop-outs along the way. It is with much
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@Srikkanth_07
Srikkanth
5 hours
The project is in the final stages of completion and will be inaugurated in a few weeks. Sunkara, now serving as Joint Secretary, Tamil Nadu finance department, recalled his interaction with the gymnasts, who were fans of Indian gymnastics star, Dipa Karmakar and wishes that
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@Srikkanth_07
Srikkanth
5 hours
Sunkara heard the grievances of the coach and the gymnasts and got the plan redesigned and secured additional funds under the Namakku Naame scheme. "Government work doesn’t always show immediate results. But I believe the efforts taken - a road here, a reform there, a file
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@Srikkanth_07
Srikkanth
5 hours
"This (the existing) place is cramped. Time is lost to get the equipment ready, then warm up. I have less time for practice," the coach tells and then pointed to the under construction structure nearby and said, "Indha Gymnasium kondu varadhukku romba poraadanoam (We struggled a
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@Srikkanth_07
Srikkanth
5 hours
At the government high school in Karattupalayam, where the Dombara children pursue education and practice gymnastics, a new training facility is in the final stages of construction, adjacent to the existing centre. In 2023, Rs 1 crore was accorded for the construction of a new
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@Srikkanth_07
Srikkanth
5 hours
In a sense, Dhanabagyam was a nomad too and gymnastics was her saviour. In the early years, the sport made her not dwell on her unfortunate childhood. Later, when she was down and out as an adult, as a single mother, it gave her a hand. Again. "Namakku oru pidippu venum (We
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@Srikkanth_07
Srikkanth
5 hours
The question, How did she convince her family members to move here and stay for a decade and half seemed like an innocuous thing to ask until the 46-year-old woman opened up on her life journey. From learning that she was raised by adoptive parents as a nine year old to growing
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@Srikkanth_07
Srikkanth
5 hours
In a turn of events which she least expected, SB Dhanabagyam, an Orphan and a single mother got posted as a contract coach in 2010. To this day, she remains the coach. It will not be hyperbole to state that the special gymnastics centre at Karattupalayam has stood the test of
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@Srikkanth_07
Srikkanth
5 hours
Karattupalayam, about 50 km from Erode, is a typical back-of-beyond village where greenery is abundant, bus services infrequent and caste divisions rampant. The SDAT had a tough time finding a coach who was willing to relocate to the remote location. Anyone and everyone the
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@Srikkanth_07
Srikkanth
5 hours
The special gymnastics centre at Karattupalayam was the result of a TN government scheme initiated in 2008. "The scheme was initiated by former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi in 2008. His vision was to engage indigenous communities in sports, and we were tasked with finding a
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@Srikkanth_07
Srikkanth
5 hours
For gymnasts elsewhere in the country and across the world, the sport offers a shot at Olympic glory. But for the Dombaras in rural Erode  the sport is a platform that pushes for social change. A short history on the the Dombaras 👇
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@Srikkanth_07
Srikkanth
5 hours
If not for gymnastics and an "accidental" coach who hung around for 15 years, several girls from the Dombara community would have been married off as children. "In our community, early marriage is rampant. I have been able to hold off marriage because of my achievements in
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@Srikkanth_07
Srikkanth
5 hours
#TamilNadu: A former gymnast with a tragic past found her calling in coaching children of the Dombara community at the SDAT centre in rural Erode. How a govt scheme helped the Dombara community vault from street performers to gymnasts. A thread đź§µ. đź”—
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