It was a race like no other. Participants on skates lined up at the starting line with a parent standing right behind. Once the whistle blew, the parents gave a little push to their child and then quickly moved to a side, egging them on from the sidelines till the finish.
BSU Skating Academy hosted a roller skating championship at Bidhan Sishu Udyan in Ultadanga and, among other events, there was one for special children.
“Though we have been training autistic children here since 2016 and this is the fourth edition of our open championship, this is the first time we thought of holding a race exclusively for our special students. Since their attention tends to drift and they are not focused enough to hear the whistle, a parent is allowed to help them start,” said Victor Balmiki, the coach who trains skaters round the year at the venue.
He has quite a few autistic students in his academy who have taken to skating. “Though the top three were awarded, we also gave medals to every child so there was no feeling of deprivation,” Balmiki added.
A total of 13 boys and a girl took part in the event from several academies. Among them was Souniv Pramanik. The five-year-old from Kankurgachhi has been taking skating lessons for three months. “We are grateful that Victor sir has thought about them. My son came third despite being new to the sport,” said his father Souvik.
Balmiki has more plans for his special students. “There is a national championship and even an international meet for such special kids. I have spotted three children, including the winner who came from Hooghly. I hope to send a Bengal team next time to the national meet,” he said.