With the rich history that India has, there will never be a dearth of interesting people and their stories here. One such interesting story is of the Siddi Tribe, a group of Africans who settled in Gujarat, coasts of Maharashtra and parts of Karnataka. The tribe settled here about 500 years ago and is now an inseparable part of India.

The Siddis living in Gujarat are quite a surprise. When you look at them, the last thing you’d expect is fluent Gujarati. However, they are effortlessly proficient in the language as they have been living here for centuries now.

13-year-old Rohit Majgul belongs this tribe, and is not fully aware about the history that their clan has brought to India and retained the culture. His family lives in a small tribal village of Talala in the Gir Somnath district in Gujarat, and makes ends meet with menial jobs of daily wage labourers. His village barely has amenities that could make a champion.

How a new talent was found

The Gujarat Sports Academy spotted Rohit when he was struggling t get noticed by the coaches. He was taken into the Judo program and is being trained for the past three years.

Ghanshyam Thakur, Rohit’s coach has been training him since day one when they found him playing in the District Level Sports School. “He was only 16 Kgs when we found him, and now he has gained about 20 Kgs more. He is now fit enough to play in the Sub Junior Championships on a national level,” Thakur shared with us.

Rohit has played in various championships like Khelo India and won medals in Judo tournaments. According to Thakur, he has won silvers and bronzes in almost every championship and has never given up. “In one of the matches, he won the silver medal. After the match, he was quite upset and while everyone was happy, he was not. He told me he will not rest until he gets the Gold medal he deserves, nationally and internationally,” Thakur said.

A happy-go-lucky guy

Rohit himself seems like quite the happy-go-lucky kid. “I met the sports academy people when I was running in my school. However, I think they chose me for Judo because I was fighting with another classmate of mine, and they felt I would be good in the martial arts,” Rohit told us. He mentioned that his family, where he had two sisters and parents, thrived on daily wages and sometimes barely made ends meet.

The kids belonging to the smaller villages live in the hostel of the sports academy and stay there all year.

“The kids do not go home often as when they go, they end up losing weight. Their families cannot sustain the kind of diet and somehow affects the performance of the children,” Thakur explained. The kids in Rohit’s village do not get an opportunity like this as most of them neglect education and become farmers and help their parents in labour work. Fortunately, things worked out for Rohit where he can now dream of a career.

Rohit seems to be quite enthusiastic to turn 16, as, after that, he will be able to compete in international competitions.

“I wish to bring Gold for the country in every Judo Championship, including the Olympics. My coach has faith in me and with more training, I am sure I will make my country proud,” a chirpy Rohit concluded.