Sunita – a champion athlete from the state that builds champions for India – Haryana

Adversity can come suddenly into a person’s life and can change everything! In Sunita’s case, it was the unexpected death of her father. Besides dealing with the trauma of this sudden loss, as well as the responsibility of providing support to her mother and specially-abled brother, Sunita also experienced a huge uncertainty about her future. Hailing from a village where educating girl children was not a common scenario, Sunita always feared that she might not be able to see herself reaching her aspirations.

However, Sunita’s mother remained an unwavering pillar of strength for her daughter during those tough times. She knew Sunita’s deepest desire and had already decided what was best for her child.

Sunita continued to study at the Satya Bharti School, Kohrar, Rewari, where she did not only cope with her concerns but succeed with flying colours. The teachers were very supportive of the mother-daughter duo, and kept encouraging Sunita’s mother to continue sending her daughter to school.

With great strength of spirit, Sunita put this sense of helplessness behind her and took on life’s challenges with courage and determination. Instead of being weighed down by all the negatives, she worked around the complications in her life from that point. Although Sunita had to juggle her schedule and it was difficult to keep up with school and homework, she was blessed with complete support from her teachers. As per her, the teachers at the Satya Bharti School were her second set of parents. 

Sunita, at a very young age, developed a keen interest in sports, especially Kho-Kho. The school witnessed her commendable performance in both scholastic and co-scholastic activities, and she became a role model student, achieving success in both spheres, much to the satisfaction of her mother, brother and teachers.

Sunita was guided and prepared to appear for the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya selection by her teachers. This entrance exam would make her eligible for free education at a residential school. She worked hard and diligently and cleared the exam with flying colours.

Soon, Sunita secured a spot in the National Kho-Kho team. She went on to prove her mettle by winning an award for ‘Best Player’ at a tournament in Goa. 

Sunita is realistic about life, she admits that it’s not easy and that she has a long way to go. But knowing that she is on the right path is comforting and her ability to manage challenges has given her confidence. Today, she is the pride of her family, and the villagers cite her as an example of immense willpower and determination, balancing household duties, studies and sport, especially Kho-Kho. 

Sunita’s biggest dream is to pursue a career in sports and bring home laurels for her country.