Dubai: Fourteen-year-old Tanishqa Kambli has a dream that she has been pursuing ever since she watched the London Olympics in 2012.
“One day I want to participate in an Olympics. I had made up my mind in 2012 while watching the Games in London,” she remarks with determination, sitting amidst the pile of medals she has already won.
Tanishqa is on track to realise her dream, though she knows it is a tough dream to chase. “My parents took me to the Olympics during my holidays. I watched all the action there and told myself that I will try my best. I want to be a fast runner,” added Tanishqa, who is one of the UAE’s most promising athletes, collecting medals at every meet. She has already won more than 50 medals and trophies, which she collects in a big box her parents have gifted her.
Tanishqa hails from a sports family. Her mother Preeti had represented Mumbai women’s cricket team and her father Hemant has played for the Oman cricket team. Her younger brother Arnav is one of the UAE’s most promising cricketers and recently won praise from renowned coaches like Gary Kirsten and Dav Whatmore.
“Each time I win a medal it reminds me that I am moving towards my goal. It is not only athletics but I also take part in tennis and table tennis and have won medals. I also play cricket and bowl fast. Be it any sport, I love to participate and excel in it,” says Tanishqa, who is gearing up to fly to India for the CBSE National Meet.
Emerging fastest
In the recent CBSE Cluster inter-school competition, she had emerged fastest in the 400m and has qualified to take part in the National meet to be held in Gujarat, India, from January 8. A ninth-grade student of Millennium School, Tanishqa also won the silver medal in 4x100 and 4x400 relay for her school. In last year’s CBSE Cluster Inter schools event, she emerged best in the 400m and won silver medal in long jump and 4x100m and qualified for the Nationals in Varanasi.
“I began taking part in sports from the age of seven. Tennis was my first love and I won the Sharjah Ladies Club Under-18 tennis title and the Coral Beach Under-12 championship twice. Ever since I saw the Olympics, running has become my favourite event,” saays Tanishqa, who idolises Sanya Richards, who won the women’s 400 metres and also ran the anchor leg of the gold medal-winning US women’s 4x400 metres relay team in London. Jessica Ennis, who specialises in multi-event disciplines and 100m hurdles, is another of her idols.
In the 2014 Our Own Athletics Inter-School Meet, Tanishqa attempted 100m hurdles and won silver in her first attempt apart from bagging gold in her favourite 400m. In the 2014 Abu Dhabi Indian School athletic meet she won three gold medals and one bronze to win the best athlete award in under-14 category. In the 2013 Our Own Athletic meet she bagged four gold medals and one silver to be again adjudged the best athlete. She has also reaped gold in Commercial Bank of Dubai Youth Athletics competition.
“I am thankful to my school’s girls team coach Margieta Rapadas for all her guidance in chasing my dream. Though I have been winning medals here I know I have a long way to go. I want to set a mark in Nationals meet in India and I am working hard. I train two hours in the morning before school from 6am to 8am and then 3pm to 4pm every day,” says Tanishqa, who was a student of Ryan Star International school until two years ago and had won the best student award three times after excelling not only in sports but also studies. She emerged as best in elocution, histrionics in drama, inter-school science and creative writing competitions.
