It’s a homerun: Indian American player, Arjun Nimmala is creating waves in the world of baseball
Written by: Team GI Youth
(July 8, 2023) Baseball is the one sport in the USA that unites communities, ignites passions and instills a love for sport that lasts a lifetime. Entering this competitive world of baseball is an Indian American teenager, Arjun Nimmala – who is possibly the first Indian-origin player to be a part of the MLB draft class which is set to take place in Seattle between July 9 and 11.
A former cricket player, and a recent graduate from Strawberry Crest High School in the delightful outskirts of Tampa, the seventeen-year-old sensation has secured his ticket to the hallowed halls of Florida State University come autumn. But that’s not all. The youngster is currently under the tutelage of none other than New York Mets’ shortstop extraordinaire, Francisco Lindor, who also happens to be Arjun’s favourite player. Interestingly, the Global Indian’s “capabilities at the shortstop position lead many to draw comparisons to Minnesota Twins shortstop and former Rookie of the Year, Carlos Correa.”
Hitting it out of the park
As a young lad growing up in Valrico, Florida, Arjun and his family embarked on journeys to their home in Vijayawada, India. During these sojourns, the player would engage in spirited matches of cricket with his cousins and friends. While he displayed prowess as a batsman, his bowling skills proved less than stellar. Nonetheless, cricket became an integral part of his life, a pastime he cherished deeply.
“I’m horrible, I don’t get the form right. I’m just a hitter,” the young player said during an interview, adding, “I also played a little bit of soccer and basketball, and those are both really fun sports for me.” When pondering if his talent could reach the heights of a Division I athlete in cricket, he hesitated momentarily before nodding affirmatively. “If I really practiced to the point that the others did, I think I would’ve been pretty good at cricket,” he said.
But fate had something else in store for him. As he stepped into the hallowed halls of high school in 2019, Nimmala bid adieu to cricket, along with soccer and basketball, setting his sights firmly on the diamond, where baseball beckoned with irresistible allure. “Basketball was quite competitive, and decided to continue with the game because I was quite passionate about it.”
Swinging for the fences
Eventually, the player’s batting practices became incredibly impressive, with scouts projecting anywhere from 25 to 35 homers annually from his raw power. He also proved to be an extremely valuable asset for his school team, winning several matches for them. “I realised I was pretty good at baseball at the age of 12-13. Some of those skills started to pop out. And from then I was like, ‘Oh, I’m going to go play college baseball’,” the player said.
When it comes to defense, Arjun shines brightly at shortstop, showcasing remarkable skills that have garnered praise. On the offensive front, the young player possesses a treasure trove of attributes crucial for projecting him as a consistent hitter. His hitting mechanics, impressive bat speed, nimble hands, and astute game intelligence all hint at the potential to excel in hitting for average. Yet, in his encounters against top-tier opponents, his in-game performances have fallen into the category of good rather than truly exceptional.
Speaking about his latest achievement of joining the MLB, the young player said, “It was always a dream of mine to play Major League Baseball ever since I knew what the MLB was. It’s a dream come true. I hope I play well enough for them to really watch me, like how Japan stopped and watched Shohei Ohtani in the WBC. I hope they pay attention, that’d be so cool. I just want them to watch and be proud of what we Indians can do,” the player shared.
(February 10, 2024) When Omishka Hirachund was a child, her grandmother suffered a hemorrhagic stroke and was admitted to the ICU. At that tender age, she was extremely frightened to enter the ICU, and her heart shattered when her grandmother passed away. "But it sparked a passion in me to become a doctor and make a difference in patients' lives,'' Omishka shared. Omishka, who is of Indian descent and living in Africa, went on to study medicine, viewing it not just as a career but as a means to serve society. Having completed her MBBCH at the University of Witwatersrand in 2019 and her Masters in Medical Sciences at the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal in 2023, she has been serving as the medical officer, internal medicine in the Department of Health, South Africa. She has also now aligned herself as a volunteer doctor with the #keready project – an initiative of DGMT, a South African foundation that uses mobile units to provide free health services in underdeveloped, rural communities of South Africa to promote primary healthcare. [caption id="attachment_35742" align="aligncenter" width="599"] Dr Omishka Hirachund[/caption] For her selfless service for the #keready project and other voluntary initiatives to promote healthcare and wellbeing,
ces in underdeveloped, rural communities of South Africa to promote primary healthcare.
[caption id="attachment_35742" align="aligncenter" width="599"] Dr Omishka Hirachund[/caption]
For her selfless service for the #keready project and other voluntary initiatives to promote healthcare and wellbeing, Omishka Hirachund was named in the annual Mail and Guardian's ‘200 Young South Africans’ list of 2023. She was one of the 18 Indian origin changemakers to be named in the list.
The #keready initiative
The #keready mobile clinic project has been made possible through a grant from the Department of Health of the Federal Republic of Germany that DGMT received. The project is making healthcare accessible, affordable, and relatable. With her goal of making South Africa a safer place, especially for children and women, Omishka has played a vital role in the movement.
The #keready is being carried forward in association with the provincial departments of health in the Eastern Cape, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, and Western Cape areas of South Africa. Durban based Omishka provides voluntary services in the eThekwini and the Umgungundlovu districts.
With the help of young doctors and nurses #keready is not just focussed in providing free healthcare but also uses social media channels, and podcasts to help people find the right health information. Since social media and podcasts are platforms that attract more young people,this demographic segment is receiving healthcare tips and advice, which they tend to overlook.
[caption id="attachment_35743" align="aligncenter" width="831"] #keready mobile clinic[/caption]
Passionate about making South Africa better
“I would like the healthcare system to support primary healthcare initiatives and ensure equitable access to healthcare for all,” remarked Omishka after being named in the ‘200 Young South Africans’ list. Minimisation of discrimination against people living with HIV, more accessible and acceptable obstetric healthcare to pregnant women, and menstrual hygiene are some of the issues that she deeply cares about.
“The gender-based violence rates and the repercussions of the violence on our society and healthcare systems are devastating. I would like South Africans to remember who they are and what we fought so hard for — equality,” says Omishka who has started the anti-substance abuse project in the Wentworth area for teenagers, in coordination with Dr Daniel Kocks and the Department of Social Development, Government of South Africa.
The young doctor serves as a volunteer Subject Matter Expert on a medical talk show aired by Megazone Radio, aiming to educate people about common diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and depression. Additionally, she contributes articles on healthcare to scholarly journals.
Volunteering – a passion
Since her school days, Omishka has had a passion for volunteering. She actively participated in feeding schemes and donation campaigns organised by the Seva Bhakti Foundation in Durban and neighbouring areas. Additionally, she contributed to regular feeding and baking initiatives at the social service organisation, Aryan Benevolent Homes. Her involvement as a volunteer with St. Thomas Children’s Centre in Durban dates back to her growing up years. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the then medical student had dedicated herself to assisting people in various ways. “I was part of the mask drive organised by the department of paediatrics, King Edward Hospital, Durban,” she shared. The youngster was also part of the sanitary pad drive by Kerr House Women's Hospice in 2021.
Driven by her life’s mission to empower disadvantaged women, Omishka has been providing donations, assistance, lectures and educational counselling workshops at the Open Door Crisis Centre supporting abused women and children. She is also a member of the Umhlanga Women's Association which works for food relief in destitute areas.
Life beyond healthcare and future plans
Born and brought up in Durban, Omishka was a very dedicated student right from her school days. She was selected as the head girl of her school and vice house captain of the school house, and had passed the International Benchmark Tests with distinction in Mathematics, Science and English.
Although she is armed with a bachelors and master’s degree in medicine along with diploma in primary emergency care and diploma in HIV Management Omishka’s educational goals are far from over. She aspires to specialise in cardiology or endocrinology.
Beyond the world of healthcare Omishka’s passions include travel, running and reading.
(January 31, 2022) Unlike India’s favourite sport cricket, basketball is still languishing in the shadows. While Indians like Princepal Singh and Sim Bhullar have made it to the NBA in the US, and created a buzz, the sport is still finding its place among the other more revered sister sports. One lively young man is trying to change this. Govinda Sharma who ranks #1 in FIBA 3X3 and is in the top 2,000 in the world, according to FIBA. The talented basketball player has taken it upon himself to make the sport a household name. Sharma, 26, is already one of the leading names in Indian basketball. That in itself is an achievement. He has worked as a coach at the NBA Basketball School, is the first Indian to be a FIBA 3X3 certified professional, trying hard to make this three-a-side game popular. Global Indian speaks to Govinda Sharma about his journey, and how he is helping popularise the FIBA 3X3 game in the country. The days when basketball was just an idea Born in Punjab, Govinda travelled around India as his father Kamal Sharma was in the Border Security Force (BSF) and his mother Geeta is a homemaker. His
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The days when basketball was just an idea
Born in Punjab, Govinda travelled around India as his father Kamal Sharma was in the Border Security Force (BSF) and his mother Geeta is a homemaker. His father's job meant frequent transfers and relocations. Although, a keen athlete, basketball was not his first love. He donned boxing gloves, and dreamt of becoming an international level pugilist. But that was not to be. Contact sport was a big no-no at home. “My parents were against boxing as I would come home with bruises and injuries on my face,” he laughs.
He slowly discovered basketball when he saw his father’s colleagues playing the game. He was taken in by the skill, stamina and speed. “I loved the way the BSF boys played. I started developing an interest, and realised that I had a bit of talent too,” says Sharma. Mohit Vasisht, the BSF team coach was instrumental in shaping Govinda’s career at just 14 when the basketball bug bit him. A few years on, Sharma joined the Sports Authority of India team in Jammu and Kashmir.
He pursued the sport, but not how he would have ideally liked to - he had to continue studying, thus basketball took a back-seat.
Chasing his dream again
The Punjab University student did his BA in business management, and another BA in physical education. As opportunities came his way, he worked in different companies like Track, Byjus and Indospirit. He even worked as a guest service officer at the ceremonial lounge of Indira Gandhi International Airport in 2014.
But leaving basketball behind rankled him. He finally called it quits and followed his passion. “I just wanted to play basketball,” Govinda says.
That took the bright-eyed boy to Singapore in 2017 for training. It made a world of difference. “I was trained by professional coaches and used the latest equipment to brush-up my game and gain strength. The best memory is when a local club - CBL, (Community Basketball League) asked me to play in the basketball league. I have learned a lot over there. I also witnessed the ASEAN Basketball League in Singapore,” recalls the sportsman.
Back in India, Govinda saw what the US National Basketball Association (NBA) was doing in India to promote the game at the grassroot level - Jr NBA programme, NBA Basketball School, NBA Academy, Basketball Without Borders, etc.
“Even the Basketball Federation of India has announced a professional league in India. Many state associations have started their own leagues like Rajasthan Basketball League, Mizoram Super League and others. It’s good to see Indian players participating in the NBA draft in the US too. That is an indication of the talent and the sport gaining popularity in India,” adds the sportsman, who founded an NGO - Sab Khelo Sports Foundation (now closed) where he taught wheelchair basketball players and the underprivileged to promote the sport he loves.
Taking basketball to a different level
Rather than taking the regular basketball route, Govinda has chosen the 3X3 version to take the game to various corners of the country. He was also an ambassador for the Indian government’s Fit India Movement, where he spread the word about fitness across the country. "I promote healthy lifestyles, fitness and motivate the youth towards fitness with workout videos. I ask basketballers to send workout videos to correct mistakes, and do zoom sessions to clear doubts," says Govinda, who does these free of cost.
As the first Indian to be FIBA 3X3 certified player in 2017, he has been driving the sport ever since. “FIBA 3X3 basketball is a variation of basketball with three-a-side, with one backboard, and played in a half-court set-up,” he explains.
According to an ESSEC Business School study commissioned by the International Olympic Committee, 3X3 is the largest urban team sport in the world. In fact, in 2017, it was included in the Olympics. Is it gaining popularity in India? “Yes, it’s gaining popularity in India because of the style, and format of the game,” replies Govinda. Further, he explains, “Players who participate in FIBA 3X3 get ranking from FIBA and they can play at the international level too.”
Govinda Sharma is now a full-fledged coach and he has his own sports academy called KAGA Basketball Academy in 2021 - in Delhi, Noida, and Siliguri. “We aim to promote basketball in the northeast. We also offers hostel facilities,” he says. Darjeeling is also set to have an academy soon. Incidentally, KAGA is named after his parents - KA from Kamal and GA from Geeta.
Govinda says that his dream is to see more Indians taking to 3-a-side basketball, and India figuring in the Olympics. “There is no reason why India cannot produce a team of international standards as we have very talented basketball players in the country,” he says, hoping to lead this 3X3 revolution.
Indians that made a mark in National Basketball Association (US)
The National Basketball Association or NBA is one of the four major sports leagues in the United States and Canada. Many Indian origin players have made their mark in this popular world sport. Here are a few…
Satnam Singh: The 25-year-old was the first-ever Indian to be drafted into the NBA after the Dallas Mavericks picked him in the 2015 draft.
Sim Bhullar: Sim Bhullar is revered in the sport as the first-ever player of Indian origin to score a point in the NBA. He was signed by the Sacramento Kings on a 10-day contract in 2015.
Sachin Gupta: As the first Indian origin person to be an NBA executive, Gupta was appointed as the interim president of basketball operations of Minnesota Timberwolves in 2021.
Princepal Singh: Princepal Singh scripted history in 2021 as the first Indian in the NBA championship-winning roster. The 20-year-old won the title with Sacramento Kings.
(March 17, 2024) In the scenic mountains of Himachal Pradesh is a river valley - Kangra - home to warm Himachali people who cherish their language and customs. The beautiful language extends its influence to Northern Punjab - where Delhi teen Navvye Anand has his familial roots. Though his family settled in Delhi, his connection to his culture and heritage remains strong through the Kangri language. Upon discovering that Kangri language was among UNESCO's list of 10 endangered languages, he felt called to take action. "I started to look for ways to revitalise the language, and focused primarily on leveraging the oral medium. Recognising the dearth of written literature in Kangri, I turned to ASR (Automated Speech Recognition) - which converts human speech into written text," he tells Global Indian. [caption id="attachment_36635" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Navvye Anand[/caption] Traditionally, linguistics would spend hours engaging with local people to manually transcribe oral traditions, often encountering bottlenecks due to the enormous amount of time and effort required, along with scope for human error. "ASR can be used to streamline the transcription process. Recent advancements in AI made it possible to use ASR at a much higher level than before," adds Navvye, whose project, Cross-Lingual
ttlenecks due to the enormous amount of time and effort required, along with scope for human error. "ASR can be used to streamline the transcription process. Recent advancements in AI made it possible to use ASR at a much higher level than before," adds Navvye, whose project, Cross-Lingual Automatic Speech Recognition for Endangered Languages won him The Spirit of Ramanujan Grant, worth $4800. Each year, the University of Virginia and the Templeton World Charity Organization jointly award a grant to high school students who demonstrate exceptional talent in mathematics and science.
With the grant, Navvye attended the Wolfram High School Summer Program in the US. "I learnt from Dr Steven Wolfram, who is a pioneering computer scientist and a linguist, and I had the opportunity to refine my linguistic abilities and learn more about linguistics," says the teen, who also attended Euler Circle Program on number theory. "I used the grant to support my education."
Love for words and languages
Growing up with a grandfather who was a polyglot fluent in seven languages, Navvye was attracted to words and languages like a moth to flame. "My love for languages is inherited, it played a crucial role in my upbringing," says the teen, adding, "We bonded over our common love for language, and every time I found a new Pandora's box in an unknown language, I'd walk up to him and discuss. I loved talking about languages with him. We'd often fixate upon certain peculiarities of a language - such as resemblance between shakkar (jaggery) - an Urdu word and sugar in English. My love for linguistics was innately embedded in me."
After his grandfather passed away in 2022, Navvye decided to pay him homage by working towards revitalising a dialect of his native language. Moreover, his visit to the Kangra Valley region in 2018 made him fall in love with the warmth of the people. "They always had some folklore or a story to tell and were proud of their culture and heritage. I thought it was paradoxical that Kangri was an endangered language because these people love their culture and heritage. I thought if I could unite their love with advancements in AI, then that would be a great project to start," he reveals.
Using AI to preserve Kangri
This led him to read papers from past researchers who had used ASR for other languages. One particularly intriguing study was by Emily Prud'hommeaux, an assistant professor at Boston College, who attempted to revitalise Seneca - an endangered language in the US. "Her research papers helped me understand the methodology and how researchers use ASR." Later, he reached out to Dr Shweta Chauhan, a researcher at the National Institute of Technology Hamirpur, who had curated a text corpus for the Kangri language. "She invited me to intern at her lab, and ever since she has been an invaluable mentor."
The innovation in ASR allows linguists to record conversations in their natural environment and to capture their essence without manually digitising any oral medium. Explaining the process, Navvye elaborates that a regular mic can be fed into the ASR model which helps give an accurate transcription. The audio is being converted into text via ASR. "Currently, the accuracy stands at 85 percent, and over time, my aim is to gather additional data and enhance the system to achieve a target accuracy of 95 percent." The project operates on two fronts - one, where Navvye personally collects data by recording conversations using ASR, and second, where he connects with local translators who send audio transcriptions to him using ASR. "This allows me to build a robust audio repertoire. Additionally, I'm partnering with the Indian government through their Bhashini program, leveraging their resources to collect more Kangri data. I'm looking forward to expanding the audio repertoire as it will provide vast dataset to further fine-tune the model with improved accuracy."
When Navvye started he was only 15, but his passion to translate his dream into reality kept him going along with the support of his parents and the people of Kangra. However, along the way he encountered some technical hiccups in his journey, primarily related to data collection, cleaning, model selection and fine-tuning. "After experimenting with other models, I settled for Open AI's Whisper, which is the state-of-the-art speech recognition model. It is difficult to bring a simple idea to fruition but when the cause is noble, people will support you," he adds.
In the last two years, Navvye's work has empowered various translators by connecting them to MNCs operating in the Kangri domain. "I've helped a couple of translators gather the requisite information to contact Lenovo, created their LinkedIn profile, and filled out technical documents for them," says Navvye, who is also creating awareness about the importance of the Kangri language among school children. Ask him the potential reason behind Kangri being an endangered language, he promptly replies, "More people are now speaking Hindi as compared to Kangri as they are dissuaded from speaking their native dialect due to globalisation. It's not considered cool enough - something we need to counter," says the teen.
Proud to be preserving his ancestor's fading language, Navvye says the fruit of labour has been immense but the job isn't finished yet. "There is a long way to go but I'm happy with the way it's been going. I'm honoured to join the efforts to the preservation of my language which is a rich amalgamation of history and discourse," adds Navvye. As he plans to join the California Institute of Technology this fall, he wants to stay committed to the project, confident in his ability to utilise the power of technology to further work towards the project remotely. "I will have a proper support system to enhance my knowledge. I already have a new idea about classifying dialects using embeddings which can help clusters different dialects and identify them," reveals Navvye, adding that it can be used as a model for other languages.
Imparting advice to fellow teenagers, Navvye asks them to stop being afraid of taking the leap of faith. "Being afraid of failure is a sign of failure itself," he says, adding, "Don't worry if it will work out or not, you will find your way. In case, it doesn't work out, you will learn something new in the process. Maybe you can tweak it so that it works better in the future."
(September 20, 2024) The Hallyu Wave, a cultural movement from South Korea, has captured the world's attention with its catchy music, impressive dance moves, and powerful storytelling. This wave, led by the global popularity of K-Pop, has made a strong impact in India. From the busy streets of Mumbai to the peaceful areas of Kerala, Indians have embraced K-Pop with great enthusiasm, turning it into a cultural craze. The energetic performances of K-Pop groups, blending music, dance, and fashion, have connected with Indian youth, creating a passion that crosses borders. In the growing K-Pop craze in India, Gauthami, known by her stage name Aria, has become a shining example of determination and dreams. Coming from Kerala, Aria is the second Indian to join a K-Pop group, following Sriya Lenka’s groundbreaking success. Her story reflects the hopes of many Indian fans who have passionately followed K-Pop and dreamed of being part of its exciting world. It was in April 2023 that Aria made a stunning debut with the girl group X:in that released its first album Keeping the Fire. Getting attention for her nationality, she said, "I thought people from India would be giving me all the attention but it turned
l the attention but it turned out that people from all over the world are showering with me love and support. I was surprised but at the same time feel grateful."
Born in 2003, Gauthami was always interested in the performing arts. It was this love that led her to the big screen. As an eight-year-old, she appeared in the 2011 Malayalam court drama Melvilasom, where she played the role of an adopted daughter of a Dalit soldier who is accused of killing another soldier on duty. While she was in awe of her first tryst with the cinematic world, growing up, like many Indian teenagers, she too fell in love with K-Pop. It was BTS that prompted her to pursue her journey in K-Pop. "Their songs are very meaningful and there is this one song Tomorrow that resonated with me. That song inspires you to do what you want to do," the Global Indian said in an interview.
Keen to try her luck in K-Pop, she applied for online auditions. For a two-minute clip (vocals plus dance), she prepared for two months because she wanted to give her all. Explaining the process, she reveals that one can find the links to the auditions on the Instagram page of the K-pop companies. She emphasises the need to focus on the quality of the audio and video while submitting online auditions. Being a professionally untrained singer, it was pure love for music that kept her listening to music and singing more of it.
Upon her selection, she flew down to Seoul in October 2022 to train for six months. "I was terrified as I was now part of an entirely new world. Also, I was given my debut song on the very first day of the training, so we jumped right into practicing our debut song," she said. It was during one such practice session that her producer realised that she was good at rapping, and that's how she moved from being a vocalist to a rapper in the band.
Moving from the known comfort of her culture and home to Korea was a little overwhelming for this K-Pop star initially. But over some time, she started enjoying the Korean lifestyle and culture. "At many times, I found things harder to be than I thought but never did I think of returning to India as I had come so far for nothing." Interestingly, she became the first Indian to have hit the Korean live stage, which is nothing short of historic. "It was my dream and I am so grateful that I could realise it."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sxunv8l446U
The 21-year-old, who has begun her K-Pop journey with X:in, wants her girl band to enter the Billboard Charts in the near future. But as an individual artiste, she wants to do a lot of music and also try acting. "I'm open to offers from K-dramas and Bollywood."
Aria's achievement not only marks a new chapter in the story of the Hallyu Wave in India but also represents cross-cultural unity, where music and rhythms go beyond language barriers, bringing fans together in joyful celebration and admiration.
This Women’s Day here are six young sheroes who've stepped into the limelight as they set about changing the world with their work and achievements. (March 8, 2022) They’re young, they’re fun and they’re raring to go. These young women know exactly what it takes to make a difference in a rapidly changing world and they’re channelising their talents in the right direction. From Karishma Mehta taking story telling to a whole new level, to giving performance art a new dimension, and conserving endangered languages, these women are in a league of their own. Global Indian turns the spotlight on some of these young movers and shakers as they gear up to take on the world. Shruti Rijhwani, researcher saving endangered languages The Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based Ph.D candidate at Carnegie Mellon University was named in the 2022 Forbes 30 Under 30 in science. Shruti Rijhwani researched, and has won accolades on the conservation of endangered language around the world. She pursued her BS degree in computer science at Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani in 2015. Selected as a research intern in applied science at Microsoft Research India, in 2015, Shruti developed search software for retrieval and deduplication of misspelled entries.
hruti Rijhwani researched, and has won accolades on the conservation of endangered language around the world. She pursued her BS degree in computer science at Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani in 2015. Selected as a research intern in applied science at Microsoft Research India, in 2015, Shruti developed search software for retrieval and deduplication of misspelled entries. Interning at Microsoft, and later at MIT Media Lab- Google Summer of Code, her forte in language conservation was to be her main stay.
In 2018, she was awarded a Bloomberg data science PhD Fellowship, and with that she became an expert on data science.
Shruti, who has been working on developing natural language processing technologies to help communities revitalise endangered languages, tweeted, “Incredibly honoured to be recognised on the 2022 @Forbes 30 under 30 list in science!” The Forbes moniker is just the beginning for this deeply research-oriented mind.
Her goal is to rejuvenate endangered languages. According to Unesco, about 40 percent of the world’s 7,000 languages are endangered. Rijhwani’s algorithms helped extract text from non-digitised books and handwritten documents and make them accessible online. At the Language Technologies Institute at Carnegie Mellon University, advised by Graham Neubig, she says, “My main research interest lies in natural language processing (NLP) and I have worked on various NLP tasks across a broad spectrum of domains and languages. My current research focuses on developing deep learning models for multilingual and low-resource NLP.”
An 18-year-old is just a step away from becoming the first-ever K-pop artiste from India. Meet Sriya Lenka, the singer who is among the two finalists set to grab a spot in the South Korean girl band Blackswan. The Rourkela-born dancer and yoga practitioner, beat thousands in auditions to gain the top spot. She is currently in Korea for a month-long training under DR Music company before the final showdown with Brazil’s Gabriela Strassburger Dalcin to win a spot in the girl band.
“Surreal,” is how Sriya describes her journey from Rourkela to Korea to train under the best in the music industry. DR Music recently shared photographs of the singer on Instagram and introduced her to the world as a Blackswan probable. A trained singer, Sriya initially had a tough time finding the perfect vocal trainer, but she eventually found a way. “I’d request everyone to support me and help me achieve my dreams,” the singer said.
Vrinda Chadha, 26, young Odissi dancer spreading art and culture
Vrinda Chadha has dance flowing through her entire being. The senior disciple of renowned Odissi dance exponent Guru Ranjana Gauhar, Vrinda has been training under her for the past 20 years since she was six. Vrinda, an alumna of Lady Shri Ram College for Women, also received a national scholarship for Odissi dance from the ministry of culture and is empanelled with the Indian Council for Cultural Relations and Doordarshan. Her mudras and expertise have taken her across the globe – Spain, Argentina, Korea, Japan, China, Singapore, United Kingdom, Madagascar, and Seychelles. Conferred with the Nalanda Nritya Nipuna Award in Mumbai, the Young Talent Award by the International Academy of Mohiniyattam in Delhi, the title of Odissi Ratna in Bhubaneswar and the Kameshwari Award in Guwahati, her talent is much talked about.
“As a dancer I have always valued the ability to express and connect with one’s innermost being through the medium of art. The liberation and joy of surrender in such an experience is unparalleled and is also what connects me not only to myself but also to those watching,” says Vrinda. As she continues to stretch artistic brilliance every time she takes to the stage, she adds, “My art empowers and frees me both on and off stage. It is my identity. Through it, I hope to spread love, peace and consciousness in the ensuing days of 2022.” This accomplished dancer also believes in giving back and works as a fellow at Teach for India.
She picked up the bass guitar when she was three years old, egged on by her jazz musician father. The youngest bass player in the country, Mohini Dey has recorded music for over 100 films and has collaborated with some of the biggest names in the music industry, including AR Rahman and Zakir Husain. She's a star in her own right too, with her striking appearance, marked by wild curly hair and prodigious technique, Mohini is quite unmistakable. By the age of 11, she was performing professionally and even designing her own outfits.
Described as the Most Successful Musician Under 30 by Forbes India, Mohini, now 24, has spent 16 years in the industry. It's a tough field to be in, especially as a bass player in India. More so as a woman. Dey has loved every moment of her journey, however. "I am very selective about the work I do and I have lots of fun doing it... My life has been always been adventurous and I like it that way."
Her father, Sujoy Dey, also a bass guitarist, was her first teacher. "My dad was so busy and would come home late at night. But he would wake me up, even if it was 1 am and teach me," she said. “I didn't have friends! All my friends were uncles and brothers."
Her latest offering, Damaru directed by LA-based JS Arts, was conceptualised by Suchismita, another of AR Rahman's proteges, for Maha Shivratri 2022. An up-tempo number, Damaru uses Indian vocals, hip hop and EDM and also features Grammy-award winning composer Ricky Kej as well as London-based rapper Maya Miko.
Aditi Chauhan, 29, goalkeeper of the Indian women’s football team
The goalkeeper of the Indian national team is known for her resoluteness guarding the Indian goal. Among the most talented and experienced in the final line-up, Aditi has a fervour and singlemindedness that is evident on the field. She is the first Indian woman from India’s national football women’s team to play internationally at an English premiere league club, West Ham United. She was also named Asian Footballer of the Year during her stint playing in the United Kingdom.
Chauhan moved to Delhi as a nine-year-old, and schooled at Amity International School. Always sporty, she tried her hand at many games before “the beautiful game” stole her heart. At 15, Aditi appeared on the team for the Delhi women's football team U19 squad.
The girl, who studied MSc in sports management at Loughborough University, joined English premiere league club West Ham United Ladies where she spent two to three seasons. Aditi was a part of the Indian women’s team that won the 2012 SAFF Women's Championship in Sri Lanka. She also played at the recently concluded 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup.
“Those that shoulder the biggest dreams, face the biggest challenges. Maybe this team’s biggest victory will be in overcoming this, and still going - still playing with heart, still dreaming! The blue tigresses will be back and roar louder than ever, we promise. Keep supporting,” she tweeted.
She was all of 21 when she decided to launch Humans of Bombay, a social media platform inspired by the Humans of New York page. Today, as her platform clocks in over 2.2 million followers on Instagram, it brings to life stories of grit, determination and the resilience of human nature. With tales of battling abuse, racism, and overcoming tragedy, her posts manage to touch hearts and inspire across age groups. Being able to get a hold of these stories was no easy feat for this University of Nottingham alum. Strangers would shy away from speaking to her, till she finally made her breakthrough. Today, the 29-year-old’s platform not just highlights stories, but also helps its subjects through crowdfunding campaigns.
From social media influencer to entrepreneur and author, her journey is nothing short of remarkable. And as she marches on, Karishma has also been featured in reputed international publications like Forbes. As she surges on in her mission to bring to life stories that matter and extend a helping hand along the way, Karishma posted on Instagram, “I was 21 when I founded Humans of Bombay and through these eight years, I’ve had what seems like multiple MBA courses simultaneously. But sluicing through the myriad of business, finance, and the whole shebang, the one invaluable skill we have honed, is the art of storytelling.”
Dr Omishka Hirachund[/caption]
#keready mobile clinic[/caption]
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