Placeholder canvas
 
Close
Igniting Ideas For impact

Embarking on a transformative journey through six chapters, we traverse India's landscape, exploring pioneering startups and their revolutionary...

8 months

VIDEO: 5 Indian Whizkids Who Prove that Just ONE Opportunity Can Make You Reach for the Stars

This article has been made possible by Airtel. “Congratulations! Today is your day. You’re off to Great Places! You’re off and away!” ― Dr. Seuss in Oh, The Places You’ll Go! Sometimes,

VIDEO: 5 Indian Whizkids Who Prove that Just ONE Opportunity Can Make You Reach for the Stars

This article has been made possible by Airtel.

“Congratulations! Today is your day. You’re off to Great Places! You’re off and away!” ― Dr. Seuss in Oh, The Places You’ll Go!

Sometimes, all it takes is an inspiring line like this to steer a child in the right direction and see him/her fly, succeed and shine. Sometimes, all it takes is the right person, the right words, and the right opportunity to enter a child’s life at the right time, and there is no stopping him/her after that. When given these things, a child can actually go places, like these five who have made their country extremely proud.

1. Shubham Jaglan

The 10-year-old golf champ

udaan1

Shubham won the IMG Academy Junior World Golf Championship for the 9-10 age category in 2015. The 10-year-old hails from Israna village in Panipat district of Haryana. His father works as a milkman and Shubham had to overcome many setbacks to reach this stage in life. Opportunity came knocking for the child in the form of an NRI who built a golfing range in his village, bought the required equipment, and hired a caddie to train kids. Shubham excelled in the game and continued practising even after the range was closed because other kids were not interested. Finally, India’s top golfer, Nonita Lall Qureshi, spotted his potential – she saw that his name was on the leader board of every small tournament for kids. She decided to take him under her wing, and the rest is history.

2. Rohit Sawant

The 18-year-old who received praise from the founder of Zumba himself

udaan2

Due to improper diagnosis by doctors after he injured himself at the age of 4, Rohit’s mental abilities were severely affected. Today, at the age of 18, he has the brain of an 8-year-old. But thanks to his cousin Rahul Murundkar, who did not want to see his brother’s life wasted away, Rohit got the opportunity to become an excellent dancer. Rahul, a trained dancer himself, started dance classes for Rohit to provide him with a platform where he could shine. Dance has taken Rohit places. His talent was recently recognised and appreciated by Alberto Beto Perez, the founder of Zumba, at the international Zumba Instructor Convention 2015 in Florida.

3. Aravind Chithambaram

India’s next Vishwanathan Anand

udaan3

Source: Flickr

Aravind, who is expected to be India’s next Vishwanathan Anand by many, did not have an easy childhood. His mother worked as an LIC agent to run the house, and the young boy had to cross several financial hurdles before winning the Grandmaster title at the age of 15. How did chess enter his life? It was via his grandfather, who wanted to keep him inside the house instead of constantly running out to play cricket. He bought Aravind a chess set and the boy soon became an expert. His coach, Grandmaster RB Ramesh, helped the family move to Chennai where he coached Aravind for free. Aravind was awarded the title of Grandmaster by the World Chess Federation at the age of 15.

4. Pranav Dhanawade

The boy who broke a 117 year old cricket world record

udaan4

Source: Twitter

15-year-old Pranav Dhanawade of KC Gandhi School, Mumbai, broke a 117 year old cricket world record by scoring 1009 runs in a match organised by the Mumbai Cricket Association. Pranav’s father, Prashant, is an auto rickshaw driver. He is an inspiration for his son and wants Pranav to become a great cricketer.

5. Lalita Prasida Sripada Srisai

Winner of Community Impact Award at Google Science Fair, California in 2015

udaan5

Lalita Prasida Sripada Srisai, a 13-year-old student from Odisha, won the Community Impact Award at the prestigious Google Science Fair in California last year. A student of DPS Damanjodi in Koraput district of Odisha, Lalita developed a low cost bio-absorbent based water purifier that makes innovative use of corn cobs in the filtering process. Besides being cheap, this also makes the purifier eco-friendly because the corn cobs would ordinarily be discarded as bio-waste. Lalita’s teachers guided and mentored her while she worked on the project, and helped her enter the competition that won her the award.

These brilliant prodigies from around India are a perfect example of how opportunity can change lives.

Opportunity was also a key factor in changing the lives of five other children recently. They interacted with author Amish Tripathi to write a magical book. Watch exactly what happened here.

Like this story? Or have something to share? Write to us: contact@thebetterindia.com, or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter (@thebetterindia).

This story made me

  • feel inspired icon
    97
  • more aware icon
    121
  • better informative icon
    89
  • do something icon
    167

Tell Us More


We bring stories straight from the heart of India, to inspire millions and create a wave of impact. Our positive movement is growing bigger everyday, and we would love for you to join it.

Please contribute whatever you can, every little penny helps our team in bringing you more stories that support dreams and spread hope.

Support the biggest positivity movement section image Support the biggest positivity movement section image
Shorts

Shorts

See All
 
X
 
Sign in to get free benefits
  • Get positive stories daily on email
  • Join our community of positive ambassadors
  • Become a part of the positive movement