Isithombe: Twitter Wazalwa ngo-1948 ePunjab, uKamaljeet Sandhu wayengowesizukulwane sokuqala seNdiya yamahhala. Waba nenhlanhla yokuphishekela umsebenzi wezemidlalo, esikhathini lapho amantombazane ayesafunda ukujabulela inkululeko ngaphandle kwemikhaya yawo. Ube ngumsubathi wokuqala wesifazane waseNdiya ukuzuza indondo yegolide kuma-Bangkok Asian Games 1970 emjahweni wamamitha angu-400 ngerekhodi lemizuzwana engu-57.3. Ubambe leli rekhodi likazwelonke kumamitha angu-400 kanye namamitha angu-200 futhi cishe iminyaka eyishumi laze lephulwa nguRita Sen waseCalcutta futhi kamuva ngu-P. T. Usha waseKerala. Njengoba engowomndeni ofunde kahle, uSandhu wayehlala ekhuthazwa uyise ukuthi alandele inhliziyo yakhe kusukela ezinsukwini zakhe zesikole. Ubaba wakhe, uMohinder Singh Kora, wayengumdlali we-hockey ezinsukwini zakhe zasekolishi futhi wayeke wadlala no-Olympian Balbir Singh naye.
Ekuqaleni kwawo-1960, amantombazane kwakungalindelekile ukuba azitike kunoma iziphi izinto ezivivinya umzimba ngaphandle nje kokusuka kwelinye isango eya kwelinye, nalokho kanye nokuhambisana! USandhu wasishintsha ngokuphelele leso sithombe sentombazane futhi walwa nemigoqo ngalezo zinsuku ngokungagcini nje ngokubamba iqhaza kuyo yonke imidlalo kodwa nokushiya uphawu kuyo yonke. Wayengumdlali oyisihlabani cishe kuyo yonke imidlalo, kungaba basketball, hockey, ukugijima, noma eminye imisebenzi yomzimba. Lokhu kwadonsa ukunaka kwawo wonke umuntu futhi, ngokushesha wagijima umjaho wakhe wokuqala wamamitha angu-400 ku-National Championships ka-1967, kodwa ngenxa yokuntula ulwazi nokuqeqeshwa okufanele, akakwazanga ukuqeda wonke umjaho. Wayehluliwe, kodwa ijubane lakhe elimangalisayo lamholela ekuqeqesheni ngaphansi kuka-Ajmer Singh, naye owawina indondo yegolide kuMidlalo Yase-Asia yango-1966.
Ukuqeqeshwa kwabesifazane kwakungekho ngalezo zinsuku; ngisho neNational Institute of Sports (NIS) ePatiala, ePunjab, eyasungulwa ngo-1963, yayingenabo abaqeqeshi babesifazane. Ngakho-ke kwakukusha naku-Ajmer Singh ukuqeqesha umsubathi wesifazane, futhi u-Sandhu kwakudingeka alandele noma yini eyenziwa umqeqeshi wakhe. Kamuva, wacatshangelwa Imidlalo yase-Asia yango-1970 futhi wabizelwa ekamu elifushane ngo-1969 e-NIS. Izikhulu zakhona zazingamthandi ngenxa yobuntu bakhe obuqinile futhi zazinethemba lokuthi uzohluleka. Kodwa waphinda wabonisa ukuthi banephutha ngokuwina imiqhudelwano emibili yokuchayeka kwamanye amazwe ngaphambi kweMidlalo yase-Asia. Amandla akhe nokuzimisela kwakhe okuqinile kwamzalela impumelelo kanye nodumo ayemfanele. Ngemuva kokuthola indondo yegolide kuma-Asian Games ngo-1970, wahlonishwa ngendondo ehlonishwayo yePadma Shri ngo-1971.
U-Sandhu uphinde waba ngowamanqamu emjahweni wamamitha angu-400 eMidlalweni Yenyuvesi Yomhlaba, eTurin, e-Italy ngo-1971. Kamuva wabhekwa njengama-Olympics eMunich ngo-1972. Ukuze azithuthukise, waqala ukuqeqeshwa e-USA, lapho ephinde wawina imijaho embalwa. Kodwa-ke, i-Indian Federation ayizange ijabule ngalesi senzo sakhe njengoba ibifuna ukuthi abambe iqhaza emiqhudelwaneni kazwelonke neyezinga lombuso. Ngakho wamangala lapho ethola ukuthi igama lakhe lalingakabhaliswa ngisho nama-Olympics. Ekugcineni, wafakwa kule midlalo, kodwa lokhu kwathinta isimo sakhe sengqondo kanye nomfutho wakhe wokunqoba ama-Olympics. Ngokushesha ngemva kwalokhu, wayeka umsebenzi wakhe wokusubatha. Ubuyele kwezemidlalo ngesikhathi enikezwa ukuqeqesha ku-NIS ngo-1975, futhi waba nesandla esikhulu ekuguquleni isimo sokuqeqeshwa kwabesifazane kwezemidlalo. Ngakho-ke lena kwakuyindaba ka-Kamaljeet Sandhu, umsubathi wesifazane wokuqala waseNdiya owaphuma phambili emhlabeni futhi wagqugquzela abanye besifazane abaningi ukuthi balandele uthando lwabo lwezemidlalo!
Funda kabanzi: Hlangana noPadma Shri Geeta Zutshi, Owayengumpetha weTrack And Field Athlete
