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Ravikiran Siddi is like any other runner. He wants to run faster.
The personal mark of the 19-year-old in the 100 meters is 10.8 seconds. India’s national record is 10.26 seconds and Usain Bolt’s world record is 9.58 seconds.
This year’s short-term goal is to achieve 10.5 seconds, Ravikiran told Al Jazeera. In the long run, he hopes to win medals at international events.
“If I succeed, Siddis’ name will shine, ”he said, referring to his African origins as a member.
The community found in the pockets of India belongs to groups of various tribes in East Africa, including the Bantu.
According to some accounts, the Sididians (believed to be a variation of the term Sayyidi, an honor of some African groups) were enslaved by Arab traders in the seventh and eighth centuries, a practice followed by the Portuguese and British.
Others arrived as merchants, sailors, and soldiers.
Some came to power, like Malik Ambar, in the 16th century. In the twentieth century Deccan became the military leader of India. Last year, Shantaram became the first member of the Siddi community to be appointed a member of the legislative council of southern Karnataka.
Sidis are often considered outsiders because they have curly hair and features despite having lived in India for generations and are immersed in local cultures.
They are known to suffer from various forms of discrimination. According to the news, the Siddies have been called “black bears” and told that they are “guests” in India and should be within their borders.
Ravikiran said that while he has not received any insults from anyone, he has noticed that when he travels to India for competitions people look at him as a foreigner, his eyes remain on his hair and his skin tone.
A Siddi athlete has told Al Jazeera that out of curiosity there are people who touch the hair of other Siddi athletes.
Nitish Chiniwar, founder of the non-profit organization Bridges of Sport (BoS), said sports can help improve the situation.
“We strongly believe that sport can change the perception of not only Siddis, but any community that dominates in that area,” Chiniwar told Al Jazeera.
Founded in 2016, BoS has worked with children from tribal communities to help foster talent and improve lives.
To date, the BoS says football and athletics have brought more than 2,000 tribal children into life, including 250 to 300 Siddis from states like Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha.
Inspired by people like Usain Bolt, Ravikiran jumped on the bandwagon when BoS coaches visited his hometown for testing, becoming one of the first hires in 2017.
He now trains at the BoS facility in Karnataka, balancing his sporting desire with online classes for undergraduate art.
Chiniwar came up with the idea for the BoS when he focused on people who didn’t get a chance to move from a passion for sports to a career.
He also believed in the power of sport to bring about change that boxer Mohammed Ali and African-American athletes like sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos used the platform to draw attention to their community.
He started working with tribal groups like Gond, Baigas and Siddis, who often live far away from major Indian groups and do not get the same breaks.
“Where they come from, whatever their background, they should get the same opportunities as everyone else,” Chiniwar said.
BoS was founded in Mundgode, in the northern region of Karnataka [Courtesy: Bridges of Sports]
BoS was founded in Mundgode, in the northern region of Karnataka. Sports facilities, there was administrative support and in the survey, the Siddi residents of the region, about 40,000, showed interest in becoming a sports organization in the area.
Children over the age of 14, as well as coaches, including nutritionists, biomechanists and track coaches, live there turning the hostel into a bedroom, gym, school and food room.
The youngest enroll in a local residential school in partnership with the BoS.
When the team feels that students are ready in terms of discipline, attitude, and talent, they are given an “athlete contract” before going to the hostel.
Chiniwar explained that the contract says the BoS will help the child until the first grade or job.
Siddis typically make up about 50-60 percent of BoS entry.
The idea of providing athletes with life skills is central to their mission. The organization says it helps to develop mental strength, healthy habits and personal skills.
“I was very shy, but now I’m more confident talking to people,” Ravikiran said.
In terms of sports, the candidates train with local and international coaches for regional and state competitions, and hope to qualify for national and international events.
“Initially it was intended to attract children to the sport, but now we aim to climb the podium at the 2028 Olympics in the 100, 200 and 400 meter events,” Chiniwar said.
It is not the first time a sports program and tribal communities have crossed India.
In 1985-86, the Indian government launched the Special Area Games (SAG) program to find promising athletes from remote regions across the country.
The aim of the program, according to the Indian Sports Authority (SAI), was to “seek natural talent to achieve modern sports and games in the region’s inaccessible tribes, rural and coastal regions” and nurture them scientifically to achieve excellence in sport. ”.
People from all over India, including Siddis, were chosen for disciplines ranging from archery to athletics and rowing.
Athletes spend their free time playing games like chess and darts [Courtesy: Bridges of Sports]
“It seems as if the state feels like bodies of siddis working on the ground, they are close to the ground and in particular, people of African descent would be prone to athletics in general,” said Beheroze Shroff, a university professor at Irvine University in California. Al Jazeera.
“To some extent, this can be seen as a stereotype that Africans have as athletes. It’s also there in the United States. Maybe that’s a motivation. The other most important thing has been that India has to compete internationally and Siddis has the ability to compete in that field.”
The athletes in the program performed well, achieving state and state records and participating in international events.
Archer Limba Ram represented India from 1988 to 1996 at the Olympics.
Juje Jackie Siddi was part of the second batch of SAG practices, selected for the 1989 athletics program.
Things were going well until the program abruptly closed in 1993, Juje said, noting that the athletes received a letter stating that they had been removed because they had not reached the mark.
BVP Rao, an Indian Administrative Services official who was the director of the SAG scheme when it was launched, said the termination was a very “unprofessional decision”.
He said he went to another task when the program ended and did not know the reason for the decision.
Rao said there were attempts to launch later versions of the program but that he had not “made a wholehearted attempt.” [1993]”.
After the finish, the athletes were left without help, Juje said. Some returned to their hometowns, some continued in sports like judo and weightlifting and others, like Juje, were in a hurry to find work.
A coach and performance scientist performs a biomechanical analysis of an athlete [Courtesy Bridges of Sports]
Athletes can get Indian government jobs with a stable income, pensions and sometimes a sports quota that allows them to continue training and playing semi-professionally.
This is how Juj found work with the Bengaluru city police and then the government in Mumbai (currently working) with the Workers ’Provident Fund Organization (EPFO).
Other SAG athletes like Kamala Siddi and Louis Vincent Siddi got jobs with the region’s railroads.
“If I didn’t do sports, I wouldn’t have that job or I would be able to support my family, I would still live in my hometown,” Juje said. “Sport is not just about winning medals. It’s also important for social change. “
For Chiniwar, what happened with the SAG scheme is a careful story.
“When the program stopped, everything went back to the first position. We want to do something that can be sustained, ”he said.
“If BoS leaves Mundgod within 10 years, there should be enough knowledge to continue training. That can only happen if you build a system in the same event. “
Chiniwar said the system involves training coaches and having support staff. Nineteen-year-old Shweta Siddi is part of that system.
Although BoS joined as a 400-meter runner, Shweta, who is in charge of the shelter’s kitchen, is learning about sports nutrition and is working to join the coaching team.
“I’m happy because I get to continue in education, because I get to learn to take on responsibilities that will help me earn a salary and grow,” Shweta said.
Shweta, as part of what she has learned about sports nutrition, prepares food as a kitchen manager [Courtesy: Bridges of Sports]
Ensuring that athletes complete their education has helped them gain parental support.
“As Shweta has practiced in sports, education and physically, she can face all the challenges in her future,” her mother Shanti said.
Meanwhile, Ravikiran’s father Francis sees great opportunities for him as well.
“If he does it well, his life could be great: respect, fame, work and a stable life. And he can help someone else like him, ”he said.
Doing something for the community is one of Ravikiran’s goals.
“Children see us as role models. If I succeed, Siddis ’name will shine,” he said.
For now, the Indian gold medal in the 100 meters remains his priority.
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