Hyderabad: Sunil Mudavat, a 14-year-old tribal boy, made it to the Navy, thanks to passion for sailing. Hailing from Rampurthanda in Vikarabad, the boy lost his father when he was less than a year old. His mother M Budda Bai works in farms as labourer to feed his family. He was one of the 19 students who were called for the recruitment into Navy schools.
Once recruited to the navy school the kids are provided with top class education facilities at the nearest Kendriya Vidyalaya and top of line training, nutrition and fitness and the boys are prepared for a career in the forces. Based on final medical, fitness and academic tests and an interview the kids are re-absorbed at various levels but get the opportunity to participate even at international events.
As a little boy, Sunil took to sailing as a volunteer to learn the game at the Yacht Club Foundation. He was inspired by his cousin Vamshi, a Swaeroe and a YCH Foundation sailor. Sunil moved to Hyderabad in the year 2014 in second class and studied at Government High School Mudfort, Secunderabad. He stayed at the Telangana Tribal Welfare Hostel, Bowenpally, from where he first joined YCH in 2018.
Sunil wishes to serve well in the navy and earn medals for the country. The YCH Foundation has enabled the recruitment of 19 children from Telangana into the sport. The kids are sent for the selections to both wings of the armed forces who run Boy Sports Companies and have large sailing centres at Krishnaraja Reservoir Mysore and the training centre at INS Mandovi at Goa with the Army and Navy respectively.
“Sunil is young and talented and has an incisive mind when it comes to sailing and is the first and only tribal boy selected by the Navy,” said coach Suheim Sheikh who is also the president of The YCH Foundation. “We are proud of the fact that nine of the 19 selected are Swaeroes from various villages of Telangana including Vishvanath Padidala who is off to Italy for the Worlds”, said RS Praveen Kumar, IPS who heads the Telangana Social Welfare Residential Schools.
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