The rhythm of running

The year 2008 brought her medals of three hues, gold, silver and bronze, at national level meets in Calcutta, Jamshedpur, Haridwar and Bhopal in the Girls Under 14 (U/14). This year has been even better — the color has been gold, in U/16 at Bhopal in the 100m and 200m. "Besides these six national medals, I have won the ‘Best Girl Athlete’ and ‘Fastest Girl Athlete’ trophies at the Bombay City District Amateur Athletic Association and Mumbai School Sports Association meets from 2004-2008,” says 14-year old Sanaya Ichhaporia who studies at Christ Church School, ICSC section. She has also set 22 new meet records from the year 2004 to date!

The schoolgirl trains five to six days a week at Priyadarshini Park with coach Savio D’Souza, an international maratho­ner, and it is his systematic training and running tips that have made her champion, believes her father Hoshang. Sanaya has won over 150 medals at local/district/state level, plus the six she has garnered in the two years she has been competing at national level, states her bio data. Of the district and state records she has toppled has been one (that of Diana Lobo) in the U/12 that had stood for 24 years! "Without support from my parents this success would not have been possible. My mother Daisy has given up her job and my dad has missed his promotions for spending more time with me,” Sanaya expresses her appreciation.

Athlete Sanaya Ichhaporia: the will to win

A resident of Rustom Baug, Sanaya credits the Sir Ness Wadia Club (SNWC) members for spotting her talent and encouraging her. "Running is my passion and I entered into sports when likeminded people saw me running in my colony. It was Hutoxi Doodhwala who first encouraged me to take it up in a professional way.” "Ever since Sanaya started at the age of 10, she has fascinated viewers. Her stride, quick starts and running rhythm really made her champion in her age group,” states SNWC president Rustom Jasoomoney. Her consistency also earned for her the late Jal Pardiwalla trophy for the best athlete of the year at the All Parsi Annual Athletic Meets for three consecutive years (2006-2009).

Despite missing school while participating in state and national events, Sanaya has had no difficulty, she says, in balancing studies and sports, scoring around 80 percent. School principal Carl Laurie has provided full support. "As I am now in my final year, I will be participating only in a few important meets. It all depends on the schedule of events. I have to balance my tuitions and training simultaneously, without prejudicing academics,” says the teenager who attributes her success to "hard work and punctuality, being sincere and honest and focused on my goals.”