The story of young Naveen is reminiscent of the the Saroo Brierley’s memoir “A Long Way Home,”6 Oscar nominated movie “Lion” about a 6 year old boy’s tragic separation from his family while foraging for food in a train.
Just a little more than 6 years ago young Naveen, 13, then just six years old, living with his uncle at Laxmappa Village Markapuram in Prakasam District was told that his parents passed away and he then ran away from the house, took a random bus and got lost. The bus conductor handed him over to the railway police at Secunderabad Station and was further handed over to the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) of Telangana a district-level authority in India, established under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act an human rights organisation.
The CWC in turn gave custody of Naveen to Thara Home , a shelter for lost and abandoned children , in Feb 2019 . Naveen recalls no details of his native place or parents but just recalls going to church to pray at his village.
The Yacht Club of Hyderabad under its talent identification program visited Thara Home in 2023 and selected 7 children including two orphans for its sailing program and trained Naveen and his cohort for a year before sending them to various national level ranking championships in Mumbai, Shillong and of course Hyderabad
The entire cohort under the watchful eye of their coach Suheim Sheikh has performed well beyond expectation and displayed talent and hunger to perform.
Naveen was recently selected by the Navy Youth Sports Company at INS Mandovi Goa under a collaboration with the Sports Authority of India and will move to Goa to join the Navy Youth Team under a fully sponsored program.
“Naveen and his cohort have displayed a serious keenness for sailing and many are placed in the top 20 in India with Akshay Kumar another orphan who finished 13th at the last Nationals at Shillong . Naveen being selected for the Navy is gratifying given his background and the fact that it opens up fresh possibilities for him in the armed forces. We wish him all the best and would like to see him as a naval officer very soon “, said his coach Suheim Sheikh
“Thara Home has looked after Naveen and he has displayed great diligence and discipline at the home during his six years with us and we are proud that he was selected first by The Yacht Club Foundation and thereafter by the Navy school. No news could be better for any of our children”, said Father Jose who heads Thara Home. “ Naveen and his friends are provided with 24 hour attention with top level athlete nutrition and world class equipment and coaching at the Yacht Club of Hyderabad and now when he joins the the Navy we hope Naveen will be a national champion very soon with a far reaching career in the Navy“ , he added.
Sathwik Dhoki’s father Parmesh Dhoki drifted into Hyderabad from Erravalli village, Warangal in 2008 and sought work as labour at the Monda Vegetable market Bowenpally and his mother Swapna Dhoki works as a domestic help in multiple houses.
Sathwik,14 now a student of Udbhav School at Rasoolpura was admitted to the Yacht Club at the age of 11 and his education, nutrition and health was monitored by the Yacht Club and he participated in various championships growing into a strapping young lad also to be selected by the Navy School and will be joining the Navy Youth Sports Company at Goa alongside Naveen.
Indian No.1 Rizwan Mohammad, 15 also a student of Udbhav School at Rasoolpura lost his father at the age of seven and is in the care of his mother who works as a cook at the Yacht Club . Rizwan is by far one of the best sailors the YCH has produced, consistently wins medals and is currently ranked India No.1 by the Yachting Association of India . Rizwan walks from his small metal hut at the shanty town of Pattigada near the MMTS rail track to the club every day for Yoga, fitness and training . He has already been to Plymouth in the UK for the Worlds, for the British Nationals and for the Langkawi International in Malaysia.
India No.1 Rizwan Mohammad has also been selected by the Navy Youth Sports Company- NYCS- and will soon be heading out with Naveen and Sathwik for a hopeful career at the NYSC
“For a family like ours and with no husband this is a huge boost for Rizwan and all of us and I hope he does well at the Navy Youth School and returns one day in uniform to serve his country “, said a gleaming Nishat Mohammad his mother
The Yacht Club of Hyderabad has admitted 26 of its proteges into the Army and Navy Schools and 5 of them are now serving as officers, 2 in the Army and 3 in the Navy. The club across the last 10 years has produced 250 medals, 70 National champions and 114 of it sailors have represented India across Internationals including Preethi Kongara who was selected for the 2023 Asian Games in China and now serves at the centre as a Coach.
“Making academic and sports careers for the poor is our primary task at the Yacht Club Foundation. We seek to recognise talent amongst the poorest and uplift them out of the vicious poverty cycle through our tagline Dignity Through Sports.” said Suheim Sheikh the President and Head coach of the Yacht Club of Hyderabad soon to be renamed the YCH Sports Foundation as it is moving into allied sports like Rowing , Swimming, Archery , Chess and Kayaking.