For the past 24 years, K. Sai Baba has been encouraging the underprivileged to take up sports. His brainchild, Sports Coaching Foundation in the city, received the prestigious Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar on August 29, for its contribution to the development of sports. When the government approached him to start an NGO to promote sports back in 1991, he grabbed the opportunity, quit his lucrative job at a bank and dedicated all his time to make sports accessible to the underprivileged.
“We were the first to install a bowling machine in India, which we had imported from New York in 1994. We were the first to have flood lights and speed guns too. In the beginning, whatever donations we received, we used that to build infrastructure. We thought this would attract people, and the amount they paid could be used to run the NGO. That’s how we survived for 24 years,” says Sai Baba, who also received the India NGO Award 2015 for its flagship project, Build India Through Sports (BITS).
“BITS project was started 15 years back and we have so far taught over 16,000 kids. As part of this, we approach government schools, orphanages etc. to promote sports. We also develop infrastructure — basketball courts, volleyball courts etc. at these schools. Not only in Hyderabad, I also approached schools across Telangana, Maharashtra, Karnataka and recently, Delhi,” says Sai Baba.
He adds, “We need to change the mindset of the country. Parents only want their kids to score good marks and often hesitate to let them take up a sport. Also, they think taking up sports is a big risk where a single injury can end your stint. There are also a few examples of sports stars like the eight-time national boxing champion Dennis Swamy, who never got his due and is struggling to make ends meet, which could also be a reason why they hesitate. Though I must admit that the current government is promoting sports on a big scale.”
He adds that back then, many working professionals and actors were attracted to the ground because of its infrastructure, including Rana Daggubati and Allu Arjun. “Now, a lot of commercial grounds have come up and people are opting for those. To survive, I approached foreign students, who now come here often to play. They only contribute around Rs 50 per person but no amount is too little for us,” he says.
Archana Das, a women cricket player and Sameer Preet and Mohammed Tariq, football players, are products of SCF who have represented the country. The institution also conducts inter-slum tournaments where both underprivileged and privileged kids are allowed to participate. He adds, “Slums are where you find a lot of talent — they have the determination to win. They just need someone who can guide them in the right path and they can win medals for the country.”
Sai Baba concludes, “We want to transform over 5 lakh children and want to reach every corner of India. For this, we will need partners who are ready to donate to help us achieve our goal of making India a sports hub.” He adds, “I am lucky to have my wife K. Srivalli by my side. She and my son Sunil Naidu have supported me throughout.”
