All section Close
Image Credit- Indian Navy, Wikimedia
Inspiring! Hyderabad's Two Slum Boys Inducted Into Indian Navy As Sailors
Writer: Shiva Chaudhary
A post-graduate in Journalism and Mass Communication with relevant skills, specialising in content editing & writing. I believe in the precise dissemination of information based on facts to the public.
Telangana, 31 Jan 2022 10:02 AM GMT
Editor : Snehadri Sarkar |
While he is a massive sports fanatic, his interest also lies in mainstream news and nitpicking trending and less talked about everyday issues.
Creatives : Shiva Chaudhary
A post-graduate in Journalism and Mass Communication with relevant skills, specialising in content editing & writing. I believe in the precise dissemination of information based on facts to the public.
Erra Durga Prasad and Gowtham Kankatla, residents of the Rasoolpura slum of Hyderabad, struggled in the initial stages of their training at the Yacht Club of Hyderabad. But after all the struggle, they have been officially inducted into the Indian Navy.
The Yacht Club of Hyderabad (YCH) has changed the lives of two students belonging to the economically backwards section as they have been officially inducted into the Indian Navy.
Erra Durga Prasad (20) and Gowtham Kankatla (21), residents of Rasoolpura slum, struggled in the initial stages of their training, have achieved their dreams after a stretch with YCH, and are now sailors, reported Times of India.
Prasad's father is employed at a photocopying shop while his mother works as cleaning staff at a motorbike showroom.
On the other hand, Gowtham's father was an alcoholic who died in 2007 due to liver cirrhosis. Later, his mother earned a living for their family by engaging in whatever odd jobs she could find.
Initial Phase
Both Prasad and Gowtham had difficulty adapting during the initial sailing phase with the yacht club. Prasad's first attempt at Pawna lake in Pune, Maharashtra, wasn't a great one as his boat was toppled by a storm, following which lifeguards rescued him. He won a bronze medal at the India International Regatta in 2017, which established him at the number 1 position in India in the junior category.
He tried for the Navy's junior fleet in 2016 and was selected, and finally, he joined his senior fleet in 2021. So did Gowtham struggled to keep his feet firmly on the boat in Hussain Sagar lake in Hyderabad, Telangana. He won his first gold medal in 2016.
Gowtham's mother recalls he joined YCH when he was ten, and she did not have many hopes when Gowtham desired to participate in water sports but eventually, she had to accept it.
"I had never agreed to his demand first because he was just a kid. He came to me asking that he wants to do dangerous stuff in the waters. We never expected that he would get through. But Gowtham surprised us all," Vijayalakshmi, Gowtham's mother, told the Times Of India.
Both Prasad and Gowtham completed their training in Odisha and have received their first posting in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
Also Read: Inspirational! Orphan Girl Who Lived Off Begging At Patna Train Station Now Runs A Cafe
Must Reads
We are an independent and public-spirited digital media platform for Indian millennials. We report news and issues that matter as well as give you the opportunity to take action.
