Rekha Chauhan – Gangani, Uttarakhand (ST10875)

The Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyala (KGBV) Gangani, located in educationally backward block of Naugaon in Uttarkashi district in Uttarakhand, was established in the year 2005-06.

Having poor financial family background, Rekha Chauhan, 17, got admitted in Class 6^th in KGBV Gangani in year 2008. Rekha, who is second eldest among five brothers and sisters, had to drop out after completing Class 5^th from primary school Naugaon as her father, who is agriculture laborer, could not afford his daughter’s studies.

On the pursuance of warden and teachers of the KGBV, Rekha took admission in the residential girls hostel and continued with her studies. Within no time, Rekha not only excelled in studies, but also started taking active participation in cultural and sport activities.

As she was a natural sportsperson, Rekha participated in various sports competitions from school to district level and won medals for her performances. She clinched a gold medal in 100meter race event in the Rural Games Federation State Championship held at Rohtak in Haryana in November 2017.

Rekha even proved her mettle in the National Rural Games Federation Competition, held in December 2017, by bagging the gold medal again in 100meter race after clocking the timing of 12second.

In the South Asian Rural Games held at Kathmandu in February 2018, Rekha won silver medal at an international competition after clocking 11.86 seconds in the 100meters race.

She now aims to bring laurels for her country by winning the gold medal in the world rural games scheduled to take place in Thailand later this year.

We all are proud of Rekha’s achievements and wish her good luck in her future endeavors.

The KGBV of the backward block of Naugaun was established in the year 2005-06. Rekha Chauhan had been a student of this very institute. She comes from a very poor family, second in a family of five siblings, and her parents earn their living through farming. Rekha studied in Naugav’s primary school till standard fifth, after which she had to dropout due to adverse financial conditions. The principal of KGBV, Anudeshika, explained the importance of education to Rekha’s parents, and managed to get Rekha admitted to her school in 2008, allowing Rekha to resume her education from standard sixth. Along with academics, Rekha started actively participating in cultural and sport activities. She displayed a particular enthusiasm for sports. She started representing her school, village (nyay panchayat), block and even her district and always stood first or second in the events. She passed her Intermediate examinations in the year 2016-17. Rekha got an opportunity to participate, at the state level; in the 100m dash event at Ruler Games Federation held in Rohtak on 11^th-12^th November, 2017 and proved her mettle by winning the gold medal. Continuing on this streak, she participated in the Seventh National Ruler Games Federation, held from 29^th to 31^st December, 2017, and defeated all the opponents by finishing the 100m race in a mere 12 seconds. Rekha won laurels for her country by winning the silver medal at the South Asian Rural Games, held at Kathmandu (Nepal) between 16^th and 18^th February 2018, by completing the 100m race in just 11.86 seconds. Rekha’s next target is to win the gold medal at Thailand’s World Rural Games. We are all very proud of Rekha and her achievements and wish her the best of luck for her future endeavors.