Hailing from a small town named “Pimplas” from Nashik city of Maharashtra, Amol Dinkarrao Aher, is a passionate Cycle polo and Fencing player whose jawdropping achievements are the result of his mad love for sports and not to mention, the sheer dedication he has put behind them all. His long list of awards and achievements are absolutely phenomenal for someone this young, but that never diverted his focus from what he aimed at attaining.

During his school days, Amol always wanted to get into the NCC (National Cadet Corps). Unfortunately, he was rejected due to issues related to his height, but it didn’t stop him from trying again. Everyday, he went to the grounds and requested the officials to allow him to join NCC and he was rejected each time. This continued for 15 consecutive days. Finally giving in to Amol’s stubbornness and tenacity, the officials made him a part of NCC. Now being a part of NCC, he surprised everyone by rising higher into the rankings than his other fellow-mates, proving clearly that it is only dedication and hardwork that can get you to success.

Being from a small town, getting proper professional coaching and training was difficult for Amol. So, he started on his own. Watching Youtube videos, he practiced everyday for hours without any guidance. He had to spend 4 hours extra compared to other players so that he can evenly compete with them. There was nobody to correct him or point out his mistake. Yet, this boy goes on to play at nationals.

Meantime, some of Amol’s seniors who had played Nationals gave him training for Cycle polo. But, it was only when he went to play the Nationals at Rajasthan, that he really learnt what the sport was. The Defence and Airforce teams that played at the nationals became an inspiration for him thus improving his performance. He won the Junior Boys Cycle Polo National Championship in Maharashtra, Orissa and Rajasthan with top 3 rankings. He also played at Federation Cup Cycle Polo Championship in two states including Rajasthan. On State level too, he has played the Maharashtra State Cycle Polo Championship, securing the top positions in many cities of Maharashtra.

With not just Cycle polo being his super-play, he has also excelled in fencing, woodball, rounders and kickball. He was a part of the National Level Fencing Championship 2016 and also the first Rounders National Championship that happened in 2011. Amol has also coached many students who later went on to play the National level sports. A very active participant, he has volunteered various events in his city.  He carried on with his enigmatic play without thinking what the outcome might be and gave every inch of effort he could manage.

“Fencing requires a lot of expensive equipments, which are difficult to manage due to finance issue. Also there is no proper coaching in the small cities. Playing at State level without a formal coaching is quite manageable but if one wishes to move ahead and play for Nationals or Internationals, one needs to have that level of training. The rules at State level are far different from the National level which can affect the performance. Sports bodies like Sai Authority of India trains many students who later on get a chance to play for the defence teams. Students must be coached at a very early stage because they are easy to be influenced and also they get enough room to improvise before getting into it professionally. ”

Amol practices Fencing manually, whereas other players use an electronic kit. This gives him a less advantage compared to other players but he is scoring well on his game.

“If we want to achieve something, we should be ready to give in all our time and efforts for it. Once started then no looking back. As a sportsperson, there are various issues and problems we face but the key is not to let that affect our game because afterall you are judged by your performance” he states.

Amol’s consistent performance throughout the years has won him laurels like Maharashtra Shasan Major Dhyanchand Puraskar and Maharashtra Shasan Gungaurav Puraskar consecutively from 2009-2016. His achievements have also been featured in various newspapers. Leaving a mark behind, keeping his aims high and maintaining consistency though his performances, he made sure he gave his 100% to every game that he ever played. He stands as an example for so many young players today.

Recently, his mother was rewarded the Jijamata Puraskar for the marvellous achievements he has had. Currently pursuing a degree in Physical Education, this champion dreams to be in the Olympics soon and is also working hard to create magic in the Internationals for the coming year.