Chennai, June 29 (ANI): India's ace rower player Shruti Kamath had been selected to attend International Olympic Academy's 51st International Session for Young Participants in Olympia, Greece.
The sessions in Olympia began on June 25 and will come to an end on July 9.
Kamath developed an interest in rowing when she was a 10-year old and her first tryst with the sport was nothing less than a stroke of fate when she was misdirected to a route leading to the Chennai boat club where she first saw the sport in action.
Kamath, who hails from Kerala, did the country proud by winning a gold at the Asian Junior Championships in Guangzhou China in August 2010.
Touting it as an amazing race Kamath cited the victory to be a long cherished dream that could not be given away easily.
"That was actually my dream, the moment I started rowing, it was my dream to for India and I got selected for the Asian Juniors and during the race we were already up ahead. So that is when I was like, I have to get the gold. It was actually the first time the Indian women got a gold in that event," said Kamath.
She was also a part of the Indian Women's Rowing Team at the Asian Games in Guanzhou in November 2010. While the men's four won silver, the women team was placed fifth.
She further said rowing is a rigorous sport that requires immense mental bonding between the team members and thorough sportsmanship to pull off a victory.
"It is very rigorous actually. Compared to what I did at home, it was almost double the load when I went for the camp (training) in Hyderabad. And everyday you get up in the morning 5'o clock that is probably something every sportsman has to do. But the dedication and mine was a team event, so all of us sitting together and plus all us from different states, so we had language issues. It was not an issue but you know we have to get together and mentally we had to be together," said Kamath.
Kamath, who has been actively involved with other sports like tennis, paragliding and scuba diving, has now has finally considered a long-term career in rowing and hopes making India proud by winning a gold in Brazil Olympics of 2016.
"I plan to row till I get a medal in the Olympics, that is one of my dreams right now, after the Asian Games. So I have just finished my XII th (class), I am planning to apply in a U.S. college and I will continue rowing over there. I will come back and probably train again for the Brazil Olympics," she said.
She further hopes that with increasing awareness and better sporting infrastructure, India can rule the world of sports given the huge talent pool that a country of billions holds. (ANI)
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