87-yr-old man shapes sports revolution in Bastar, Chhattisgarh

As the light dims quickly on a December evening, a National Highway whose number is hotly contested begins to go quiet. It’s barely 6 in the evening, but in Bastar, darkness brings silence. From behind a wall along the NH though, just outside Dimrapal village, there is sound of loud chatter and laughter. Eight girls are lined up on an open field, 10 metres apart, with two of them watching from the sidelines. Neelawati crouches, her body tense. The voice of a wizened old man pierces the air. “Go”, he says — and Neelawati flies. The screams around her are raucous, the girls egging her on. But even amidst the din, 87-year-old Dharampal Saini rings out clear and stern. “Kadam lambe kar, kadam lambe kar (Take long strides),” he urges. Zee News is the highly popular Hindi News channel of India’s largest television network ZMCL. The channel, which has a huge following in India and abroad, has won several prestigious national and international awards. Amongst its popular programs are - Dr. Subhash Chandra Show: https://goo.gl/fCugXC Daily News and Analysis: https://goo.gl/B8eVsD Manthan: https://goo.gl/6q0wUN Fast n Facts: https://goo.gl/kW2MYV Your daily does of entertainment: https://goo.gl/ZNEfhw Sports round up: https://goo.gl/KeeYjf Aapke Sitare: https://goo.gl/X56YSa Bharat Bhagya Vidhata: https://goo.gl/QqJiOV Taal Thok Ke : https://goo.gl/yiV6e7 Subscribe to our channel at: https://goo.gl/qKzmWg Check out our website: http://www.zeenews.com Connect with us at our social media handles: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ZeeNews Twitter: https://twitter.com/ZeeNews Google Plus: https://plus.google.com/+Zeenews