Checkmated cancer, now global winners

The air was jubilant with the sweet aura of victory at the arrival terminal of the Mumbai airport on Tuesday as the Indian contingent returned from Moscow. Seven children from India have made the country proud by bagging ten medals at the World Children's Winners Games held in Russia from June 26 to 29, this year for cancer survivors.

Around 560 children, from 20 countries across the world, took part in as many as six games including rifle shooting, swimming, running, chess, football and tennis. Ten children from Tata Memorial Hospital in Parel participated in the games and bagged three gold, four silver and three bronze medals from over 60 medals and laurels that were up for grabs.

Adhish Jakkani, 13, who beat blood cancer recently, had taken some lessons in chess from the hospital which helped him defeat his Russian opponents to claim silver for India. He had missed almost one year of school during his treatment. "During the chemotherapy sessions, we had to spend almost four or more hours waiting at the hospital for blood as well as other check-ups. The social workers in the paediatric department then advised us to get Adhish engaged in activities such as music and sports at the hospital," said Lavanya, Adhish's mother. What transpired after Adhish started playing guitar and chess was phenomenal. "I trained in chess for a month at the hospital. In Russia, I won four out of five games. In one of them, I beat the Russian opponent in four moves flat. It was a checkmate. But I must say, the competitors were very tough. Russian students are tough players as they train in chess at school, which is a part of their curriculum," said Adhish.

15-year-old Mansi Mehra, a student of Kendriya Vidyalaya in Noida, bagged bronze in chess. She visits Tata hospital once in two years for her long-term follow-up treatment. "This time around, when I was in Mumbai during one of the check-ups, I stayed back to train for chess and then Russia happened," said Mansi.

Tapojyoti Sarkar, 12, a quiet and a demure boy otherwise, is a 'firecracker' on the football field. In 2009, he was detected with blood cancer. But the illness did not deter his spirits. "The doctor advised me to continue with my athletic training in school. I was a part of a football team which had players from Russia, Belarus, Hungary and Ukraine. We bagged a bronze medal and I was the only Indian in the team," said Tapojyoti. A student of Jankidevi Public School, Tapojyoti plays football for his school team.

Post the games, the contingent paid a visit to the Indian Embassy in Russia where ambassador PS Raghavan felicitated them with great pomp and honour. In 2010, the first international games for cancer survivors took place in Moscow. "The Winner's Games is more than a mere athletic event. It's a celebration for children who have won over the illness. All our young participants had some life-threatening disease that took a toll over them and their family. These children have completed their treatment and have a whole life ahead of them," said Ameeta Bhatia, a volunteer at Paediatric Oncology department of Tata Memorial Hospital.