Chandigarh, Sep.11 (ANI): Satinder Bajwa, an expatriate Punjabi, who is a squash coach, has set up an academy for the underprivileged children in Chandigarh to draw them to Squash.
These underprivileged children never thought about playing Squash. But, at the newly founded Squash Academy called ‘Mind, Body and Game – Connection’, they learn how to play it.
Satinder Bajwa, who has been the manager and mentor of eight times World Squash Champion Jansher Khan, has commenced this social business venture to promote the game here.
The Academy will nurture 30 children of ‘Khelshala’, a charitable trust, which serves underprivileged children through sports.
“Everybody wants to help his or her origins or the country that needs help. I am not a wealthy guy but I have something to give to kids in terms of a sport, so I thought how I give back to my country and I do a non-profit programme in the USA called Kids Squash and I thought may be its needed here in India and may be we can help kids through giving them something that they can use to help themselves,” said Satinder Bajwa, Founder of the MBG Ceonnection Academy in Chandigarh.
“You can give somebody money, money runs out but you give them something like this, may be if they are good at I, they can become very good, may be if they are good students, may be I can get them into some international university and few years down the roads, we might see some results which may enable people to help themselves,” said Bajwa.
He says the objective of the Squash Academy is to highlight that through exercise and play one can achieve a healthy body and mind for a fuller life experience.
The Academy will offer members a comprehensive set of world-class facilities including top of the line gym equipment and two squash courts, Bajwa adds.
Bajwa, who immigrated to the USA, is presently the chief coach of Squash at Harvard University. He felt the need to giver back to his homeland something valuable.
Many people in Punjab believe that Squash is a sport that has a future.
“The game is very nice. There is no age limit to play this game. Its very enjoyable and there are no chances of injuries,” said Manjit Singh, a trainee.
“We were little apprehensive in the first couple of days how may kids would be interested but we have had an amazing turnout and its been tones and tones of response from the kids and everyday more and more kids wanna come and play and its wonderful to see excitement and eagerness of all the kids ibn the village to come and play,” said Elizabeth Chaplin, a trainer in Massachusetts, US.
The MBG – Connection and Khelshala are a lifetime dream of Bajwa who also funded ‘kids squash’, a U.S.-based non-profit organization that promotes well-being through sports for children of all backgrounds.
Khelshala will also have an educational component as well as it will aim to leverage sports to help kids attain scholarships to private schools. By Sunil Sharma (ANI)