RDF students have access to a wide range of different sports, which include: archery, karate, kabbadi, kho kho, track & field, yoga, pyramids, and volleyball. Students excel on the field just as much as they do in the classroom!
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| Pranitha in action at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Read more about Pranitha’s achievements. Image source: Getty Images |
RDF first shot to fame when former Kalleda students won medals in the World Archery Championships held in Mexico in 2006. One of these two students, Vardineni Pranitha was a member of the Indian team for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and for the Asian Junior Championships in June 2007.
Archery students from Kalleda School and Junior College have won medals in state and national competitions. Sixteen year old V Sharadha represented India in the Youth World Archery U.S.A 2009, and recently students have won places in the junior and sub-junior state trial selection for the national championship. Lavanya from VAPV Junior College won a gold medal in the recently concluded Junior National Archery Championship in Maharashtra. Currently, 16 students are undergoing training with former National Archery Champion and RDF Archery coach, Mr. Prabir Das. 8 students have also been selected to TATA Archery Academy, Jharkhand. RDF Junior College students can been seen most mornings and evenings, before and after school, practicing their archery skills in the college grounds.
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| Students playing Kho Kho |
Away from archery, RDF students have begun to shine in a number of other sports at the district level where many have been selected for state and national events. Many students are particularly keen on two of India’s most popular team-contact sports - kho kho and kabbadi. Kabaddi is the state game of Andhra Pradesh and like kho kho has grown in popularity because neither requires any specialist equipment or clothing.
Kalleda students have won awards in kabaddi and kho kho in the Warangal district sports events from which students are selected to participate in the more competitive state competitions. Currently, we are coaching students in Kho-Kho with State level Kho Kho player (Mr. Laxman). Students have also excelled in yoga and athletics (track & field).
These successes have been replicated at Matendla School in the Medak district where students have been selected to take part in state competitions in basket ball, kho kho and handball. Four Matendla students have won scholarships to study at specialist sports colleges.
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| Matendla girls practising their karate skills |
Upon discovering that the Matendla School Physical Education Teacher has a black belt in karate, Sri Kiran Addala (RDF Director) initiated a Karate Program for the female students at the school. This program is intended to encourage fitness and confidence in the girls and empower them to face challenges.
