Lucknow: In the Colaba fish market of Mumbai, you can see a well-built athletic youngster auctioning fish. Most of the people around him do not know that, Bharat Fattu Chavan is a National Games Silver medalist and a Gold medal winner in Rugby in the ongoing Khelo India University Games being held at Lucknow. He was the top scorer of the tournament and led his team, Bharati Vidyapeeth University to victory against KIIT, Bhubaneshwar. His life story is a balance for survival, shouldering responsibilities of his family and the desire to achieve greatness in Rugby. In the final against KIIT,Bhubaneshwar, Bharat contributed 10 crucial points to his team’s victory in a scoreline of 19-10.
Bharat, pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Physical Education (B.P.Ed) through correspondence from Bharati Vidyapeeth Pune, lives alone in Colaba, Mumbai. He not only works as a laborer to support his paralyzed parents and younger brother studying in school, but also manages his studies and continues his involvement in rugby.
Bharat says, “My parents live in the village, and my father is a farmer. He is unable to farm properly now due to paralysis, which has affected 50% of his body. As a result I have to work to support my family. I work in the mornings, study and play rugby.” He adds, “I take care of the household expenses. I also work in the fishing industry. I participate in auctions for imported goods on the ships. I go to the fishing yard at 3 in the morning, and the auction starts at 4. After being free by 7, I go to the gym. Then, I come home and study. In the evening, I play rugby with my local team.”
Bharat is participating in the Khelo India University Games for the second time. He shares, “In Bhubaneswar, we won gold. Khelo India University Games is a great platform. Athletes coming from poor backgrounds get everything they need in the games. Accommodation, food, transportation, everything is provided for free. Players only need to focus on their performance. Playing here has always made me feel proud. It feels good to be on TV. When the Khelo India University Games were telecast live on Star Sports for the first time, people from my village saw me playing. It was a very special moment for me.”
Bharat mentions that due to his performances, the university has reduced his fees by up to 50%, which is a great help for someone hardworking as him but do not have the means to support everyone around him. He states, “I am pursuing a sports teacher course at my University, but my dream is to play for the country. I always think about it. Recently, I received Maharashtra’s biggest sports award, the Chhatrapati Award.”
Bharat shares that he is a part of the first team for Maharashtra and has been participating in national rugby competitions for five years. He says, “In the National Games held in Gujarat, Maharashtra won the silver medal. I played nationals for the first time in 2015, where my team finished in the branch. Since then, I haven’t stopped.”
In Mumbai, Bharat practices at the Mumbai Gymkhana and plays for the Magician Foundation India team under the guidance of Rahimuddin Sheikh in local leagues. He explains, “It is an NGO. I teach children and receive support from the Magician Foundation for this work.”
When asked about his dream, Bharat says, “As a player, I want to represent India. I am preparing for it. After that, I can also apply for a good job because the work I am currently doing is sometimes tedious and I do not have much time to do everything I want”.
