Vibing to his own tune: Rishaad Chaudhry has many musical gems in his bag
Written by: Vikram Sharma
(August 8, 2022) Rishaad Chaudhry began his musical journey as an amateur who used to write songs in his room during the pandemic-induced lockdown. As the world opened up, he continued to make music, very different from that of others. He could incorporate numerous genres into one song or make songs of different kinds of genres.
From pop and hip-hop to rap and indie Hindi music, this Geneva-born singer has created his brand of music, which sets him apart from other artists. “While making music, I simply reflect on my own life, experiences, learnings, and emotions,” smiles Rishaad, in conversation with Global Indian. His latest track, ‘Tu’, is a Hindi pop song with a touch of desi rap, which is refreshingly different from a regular Hindi song.
Singer Rishaad Chaudhry
“I have played with the pop and rap styles that my English songs have and integrated these into a Hindi one. I was inspired to write a Hindi song that my audience would relate to,” informs the 20-year-old, who believes that the desi rap and pop genres are growing rapidly and his latest song fits perfectly in both. The song, he informs, came to be as a result of Rishaad’s own experiences as well as those of others about how love can have a huge impact on us.
He says the beat for ‘Tu’ really struck out for him as it has a happy yet gloomy melody and tune. “After deciding the beat, I thought of the chorus of the song. I was slowly able to bring the harmony together with elements of desi rap,” explains the singer, about what all went into the making of the song.
Musical journey
Rishaad was born in Geneva, where his father was transferred for a job opportunity in 1997. The family, however, returned to India later and settled down in Gurgaon. The budding singer went to Shri Ram school Aravali, Gurgaon, and then to La Martiniere, Lucknow. “Having spent a major part of his school life at the boarding school, I made lifelong friends and memories, along with gaining important life lessons which I believe are of use to me till today and will be for the rest of my life,” says the youngster, who is currently studying Business in OP Jindal Global University, Sonepat.
Rishaad began writing songs in the pop/hip hop genre. “As I grew as a musician, I delved into rap as well as Hindi songs. I initially did not choose rap and was inclined only towards singing. However, after listening to the kind of music my generation and target audience listen to, I gave rap a shot as well and found my niche in it,” he says. His previous song ‘Khafa’ echoes the pain of longing. ‘Not Alright’ and ‘I’m Sorry’ are also two of his most popular previous releases.
“Not Alright is a song for everyone who is putting up a happy face for the world but is struggling within themselves. I wrote this song to remind everyone to be kind because we can never know what is happening in someone else’s life. ‘I’m Sorry’ is an apology for all the wrongs I did while being hurt in love,” informs Rishaad.
The music he has been listening to over the years has had a huge impact on the way Rishaad began to make his own. “I am a huge fan of the rap, pop, and hip-hop genre as well as Indie Hindi music. Some of the artists I have been listening to for years, including 21 Savage, Powerful, Drake, The Kid Laroi, Juice Wrld, Zaeden, and Yashraj have inspired me to showcase my take,” says Rishaad, who also performed in his high school band. The youngster believes rap is a genre that has become increasingly popular among the people of his generation. “This inspired me to incorporate the genre into my songs.”
Finding his voice
With his music, says Rishaad, he intends to connect with people and allow them to connect as an audience. “Life is full of ups and downs, and no one should feel as if they are alone on this roller coaster ride,” says the singer, who is looking forward to travelling abroad to obtain a degree in digital marketing, which will assist him in his career as a musician.
So what more tracks are in the making? “Currently, I am working on an English song, its working title is ‘Broke My heart’. It is a song about heartbreak and betrayal and echoes the feelings of sadness one feels after losing the one they loved the most. This song is an extremely special one as I am in the process of recording my first ever music video for the same,” informs the talented singer, who also has several Hindi singles in the making which will also be released soon.
He says the constant motivation to create music is what gives him immense joy and satisfaction. “Each day, my passion only grows along with my experience and knowledge regarding the brand I wish to build as a musician,” smiles the youngster who indulges in different kinds of sports including football. “I now see a clear image of where I wish to be in the coming years and what I wish to achieve. My main focus is on creating music and content to reach an audience all around the world and continue to do what I love,” says Rishaad.
(January 25, 2023) When Sritej Padmanabhan's grandfather visited the family in the US, the teenager encountered, for the first time, the devastation caused by Parkinson's disease. A year later, at the age of 13, the North Allegheny student created an algorithm that can analyse videos of hand tremors and provide an accurate measure of tremor frequency to help diagnose Parkinson's disease, according to 3M. The teen innovator's algorithm landed him a spot in the top 10 finalists of the 3M Young Scientist Challenge in 2022. Lack of access to quality healthcare Parkinson's disease is a progressive disorder, which affects the nervous system and parts of the body controlled by nerves, causing uncontrollable movements and other symptoms that worsen with time. "Last year (2021) my grandpa was diagnosed with Parkinson's and I saw first how severe hand tremors can affect a person's ability to carry out daily tasks," the young Global Indian explained. "After research, I've learned that even in the United States, access to a qualified neurologist is a challenge for the rural population." [caption id="attachment_26882" align="aligncenter" width="344"] Sritej Padmanabhan[/caption] Although Sritej's grandfather was not lacking medical care back home in India, where he made frequent trips to his neurologist,
Although Sritej's grandfather was not lacking medical care back home in India, where he made frequent trips to his neurologist, his symptoms went unmonitored during his two-month stay in the US. Eventually, he had to return to pay his doctor a visit. Sritej, who had known even as a child that he wanted to be in the medical field, either as a neurologist or neurosurgeon, decided to create a solution. He began his research, convinced that being able to measure and monitor hand tremors could play a pivotal role in enabling greater access to quality medical care, especially among rural and underserved populations.
The telehealth solution
"I had always wondered if there is a telehealth solution," he said, in an interview, adding that misdiagnosis is common and that rural folk can't always make the trip to see a doctor as often as is required.
Sritej started out by analysing hand tremors using smartphones, videos and his computer. "I recorded 225 videos of simulated hand tremors from four family members," he says. He used Python and open-source software libraries, analysed and stored the videos and framed hand models. One platform, he found, could use machine learning to track finger movements. Sritej's algorithm uses the data from various platforms to calculate the frequency of the tremors. Users currently strap smartphones with devices called accelerometers to their wrists, which can measure vibration and movement.
[caption id="attachment_26881" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Sritej with other students from North Allegheny school who participated in the Broadcom Masters[/caption]
The 3M experience
In 2022, he decided to make an entry into the 3M Young Scientist Challenge, also motivated by the idea of being able to work with his mentor, a 3M scientist, over the summer.
The 3M Young Scientist Challenge is one of the most rigorous of its kind, with the top young talent competing for the $25,000 grand prize. "This year's finalists and honourable mention recipients feature outstanding innovations from young scientists, who submitted a one-to-two-minute video communicating a solution to an everyday problem in their community and the science behind their solution," according to 3M.
A Franklin Park resident, Sritej is an avid participant in competitive robotics tournaments. He also enjoys chess and golf, saying, "Golfing involves an immense amount of focus and perseverance." Taking time out of his busy schedule, he makes the time to do community service, volunteering at local soup kitchens and visiting senior centers.
(December 29, 2023) In 2023, a remarkable group of Indian teen innovators emerged, leaving a positive mark on the world with their groundbreaking inventions. These ingenious teenage innovators not only showcased their creativity but also garnered recognition and awards for their impactful contributions. Through their innovations, these young innovators have introduced practical solutions that address real-world challenges, proving that age is no barrier to making a meaningful impact. From affordable medical devices to ingenious technological solutions, these Indian teen innovators have demonstrated that innovation knows no boundaries, inspiring others with their passion and dedication to making the world a better place. Global Indian puts a spotlight on a handful of Indian teen innovators who made the right noise with their work. Shanya Gill Shanya Gill, a young innovator from California, was inspired to create an affordable fire alarm after a devastating incident. According to the World Health Organization, around 180,000 lives are lost globally each year in fire-related incidents. Shanya's motivation came when a restaurant near her home in San Jose caught fire, leading to its destruction. This event made her mother more cautious, always urging Shanya to double-check the kitchen stove before leaving their house. One day, while studying,
to its destruction. This event made her mother more cautious, always urging Shanya to double-check the kitchen stove before leaving their house.
One day, while studying, the 13-year-old discovered the potential of thermal cameras to detect heat loss in homes during winter. Intrigued by this capability, she wondered if these cameras could be used to quickly detect house fires compared to traditional smoke detectors. Recognizing the possibility of saving lives with an early warning system, Shanya decided to pursue this idea. Her innovative fire alarm design recently earned her top honors and a $25,000 prize in a leading middle school science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) competition sponsored by Thermo Fisher Scientific and the Society for Science. Proud of her achievement, Shanya expressed her commitment to continue working on projects that contribute to making society a safer place.
Shripriya Kalbhavi
Shripriya Kalbhavi, a ninth-grader at Lynbrook High School in San Jose, was in for a pleasant surprise when she won a second place at the 2023 3M Young Scientist Challenge. She had been working on her invention, EasyBZ, for a while without expecting it to land her a spot in America's biggest middle school science competition, which won her a cash prize of $2000 for creating a cost-effective microneedle patch that allows for easy self-administered drug delivery without using pills or needles.
Growing up, Shripriya was afraid of needles and disliked getting injections. This discomfort and fear led her to realize that many people, especially children like herself, had no solution to their fear of needles other than being told to face it. Motivated by her own experiences, Shripriya developed the EasyBZ microneedle patch, aiming to deliver medication to patients painlessly and over an extended period. “I am really passionate about making sure that everyone is comfortable with the medical treatment that they are receiving, and I really want people to have long-term solutions to their chronic conditions. With the EasyBZ microneedle patch, I have always hoped that people can receive painless treatment that accommodates their medical needs, whether it be children who have diabetes or adults who suffer from forms of dementia like Alzheimer’s,” the innovator wrote in a blog.
Aditya Chaudhary
Aditya Chaudhary, a teenager from Delhi, shared a close bond with his grandfather, spending afternoons together listening to stories. When his grandfather was diagnosed with Parkinson’s, their quality time suffered as communication became challenging due to the disease's progression. Despite the loss, Aditya was inspired to create NeuroSight, a non-invasive headset that converts thoughts into text for paralyzed and neurological patients. Motivated by the desire to help the over 7 million Parkinson’s patients in India, Aditya turned his personal experience into a low-cost and effective solution, bringing Grey Horizon and NeuroSight to life in 2022. His innovation aims to bridge the gap between neuroimaging research and practical, everyday use.
In early 2023, Aditya began creating a prototype for his invention, and it's currently being fine-tuned. The goal is to make the device convert data into text in real-time, capturing thoughts the moment they occur in a patient's mind. Starting as a research paper that earned recognition from The Hong Kong Academy of Sciences, Aditya transformed the idea into hardware with NeuroSight. Now, he and his team are working to elevate it further by making it possible for thoughts to control prosthetic or robotic arms. "We wanted to focus on functionality as well since you can’t control your muscles in Parkinson’s because of the involuntary muscle movement. We recently pitched the robotic arm at one of the innovation and science fairs. We are now looking for mentorship in regards to advanced research behind neuroimaging that can validate our technology and work with people who can help convert the hardware into a minimum viable product," he told Global Indian.
Rohan Kalia
Rohan Kalia, a 17-year-old Indian-American student at Wheeler High School in Marietta, began his journey to create a solution for early detection of glaucoma after a family member was diagnosed with the condition. Recognizing that glaucoma is the second leading cause of irreversible blindness globally, Rohan was motivated to find an affordable way to accurately diagnose the disease. His efforts resulted in the creation of EyePal, a portable device that boasts a 95 percent accuracy rate in detecting glaucoma. Rohan's innovative solution earned him the prestigious 2023 IEEE President’s Scholarship, accompanied by a $10,000 prize.
Glaucoma, a progressive eye disease affecting the optic nerve, can lead to permanent vision loss if not detected early. During his research, Rohan discovered a significant disparity in eye care treatment worldwide and identified challenges in accessing glaucoma diagnosis and prevention, particularly in rural areas. To address this issue, EyePal utilizes a quality camera, a Raspberry Pi minicomputer, machine-learning technology, and a mobile app. The device captures fundus images, which are then sent to a mobile device for examination by a specialist. Tested on sets of fundus images, EyePal demonstrated an impressive 95 percent accuracy, providing a promising solution for accessible glaucoma detection.
Nirvaan Somany
A Facebook post about a denim requiring 1000 litres to water to be produced left Delhi-based teen Nirvaan Somany aghast. "I thought I was conscious of my water consumption but I was clearly wrong,” he told Global Indian. This led Nirvaan to start Project Jeans, a social entrepreneurial attempt aimed at mitigating the environmental consequences of denim by converting discarded denim into sleeping bags. "This led Nirvaan to start Project Jeans, a social entrepreneurial attempt aimed at mitigating the environmental consequences of denim by converting discarded denim into sleeping bags," he added. The project led him to win the Diana Award and 2023 International Young Eco-Hero award.
[caption id="attachment_33853" align="aligncenter" width="619"] Nirvaan Somany founded Project Jeans[/caption]
Till now, they have collected 8000 pairs of jeans under Project Jeans and distributed more than 1000 sleeping bags primarily in Delhi, followed by Kolkata, Mumbai, and Pune. “We also sent our sleeping bags to Turkey and Syria to aid with their earthquake relief last year,” he revealed.
Indian teen innovators have truly distinguished themselves with their exceptional contributions and groundbreaking inventions. Their remarkable achievements not only demonstrate a keen understanding of global challenges but also reflect their unwavering commitment to making a positive impact on society.
Kiara Nirghin
At the age of 13, Kiara Nirghin, an Indian-origin South African, endured a challenging period of hospitalization due to the dual diagnosis of Bilharzia and bacterial meningitis amid one of South Africa's worst droughts. Confined and unable to attend school, Kiara's profound pain sparked a transformative realization about the potential of the human mind. Reflecting on the power of knowledge during her TEDxPretoria talk, she envisioned utilizing this mental strength for productive purposes. This introspective journey led her to develop a groundbreaking solution for drought: a cost-effective "super-absorbent polymer" that enhances soil water retention. Kiara's invention not only earned her the top prize at the Google Science Fair but also secured her a spot on Time's 30 Most Influential Teens list.
In 2021, she collaborated with an international agricultural firm to introduce her groundbreaking product to the market. This innovation has the potential to revolutionize water conservation, ensuring the sustenance of crops during periods of drought and contributing to enhanced global food security. Reflecting on her approach, she expressed a mindset that envisions the world's challenges as yet-to-be-paired problems awaiting innovative solutions.
Atreya Manaswi
Five years ago, when Atreya Manaswi was just eleven, he went on a fishing trip with a friend and the friend's grandfather, who was a beekeeper. The grandfather shared a sad story about how he used to get lots of honey from his bees, but in recent times, the honey production had drastically decreased. This story deeply touched Atreya, inspiring him to start researching about bees.
Now, as an eleventh grader at Orlando Science High School, Atreya has been doing advanced research with the US Department of Agriculture and the University of Florida since he was 12. He created a new, eco-friendly, and affordable pesticide to help protect beehives from small hive beetles and varroa mites, which are major threats to honey production. Atreya also wrote a children's book called "The Bee Story" to raise awareness about bees, the environment, and farming. Besides all this, he's won several awards, including the Barron Prize 2023, and has spoken at international conferences supported by the UN and the World Food Forum.
(February 7, 2023) A new year, and a new record for one of India's latest additions to the world athletics. 23-year-old sprinter and hurdler, Jyothi Yarraji has created yet another record - this time in the 60 m hurdles event. The young athlete has broken the national record once more and claimed the second position at the Elite Indoor Meeting Miramas 2023, a World Athletics Indoor Tour Bronze level meeting, in France. Jyothi clinched the silver medal, reaching the post at 8.17 seconds in the finals - losing to Cyprus athlete Dafni Georgiou by just 0.145 seconds. It was only last year in November that the Indian athlete established a new national record for 100 m hurdles at 11.51 seconds. Regarded as one of the rising stars of Indian athletics, Jyothi - despite the several setbacks she has faced - is currently the fastest women’s 100m hurdler in India. Going by her records, this young athlete has all the potential to be a superstar in track and field, and put Indian athletics on the world map. Global Indian takes a look at the glorious journey of this athlete who is winning despite the odds stacked against her. Fighting her way
potential to be a superstar in track and field, and put Indian athletics on the world map. Global Indian takes a look at the glorious journey of this athlete who is winning despite the odds stacked against her.
Fighting her way
Born in 1999 in Visakhapatnam, Jyothi grew up with limited resources. Her father, Suryanarayana, works as a private security guard while her mother, Kumari, is a domestic help who works part-time as a cleaner in a city hospital. Combined, they earn less than ₹18,000 per month. Jyothi, however, was destined for greater things.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7H0_5AQ08rI
The path was set during her school days when her physical education teacher saw the potential in her and encouraged her, due to her height, to become a hurdler. Since then, there has been no looking back for the girl who came into the spotlight after winning a gold medal at an Andhra Pradesh inter-district meet in 2015. Interestingly, fearing that her parents would deny her request to participate in the event, Jyothi didn’t inform them about it. It was only after she won the medal and people started flocking to their house that her parents got to know about their daughter's talent. This was the beginning of a career that saw her win various medals in junior and senior national meets.
After the athlete started winning state and inter-state level medals, she was hand-picked by James Hillier, a British coach, at the Odisha Athletics High-Performance Centre in Bhubaneswar in 2019. However, the journey was hardly rosy.
Rising despite setbacks
Hillier’s confidence in her talent did start reflecting in Jyothi's progress as well. In January 2020, the athlete clocked 13.03 seconds to win gold at the All-India Inter-University athletics meet in Moodabidri, Karnataka. Even though the mark was enough to hand her the Indian women’s 100m hurdles national record, the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) and Athletics Federation of India (AFI) had failed to test her before the championship, making her feat ineligible for the official record books. While she wasn't very pleased with the situation, the young athlete didn't break down. "Every competition is important because it helps me run faster. To run good timing is a gradual build-up and my body needs to adjust and go with the flow. Every run gives me a lot of experience and helps with improving my speed consistently," she told answering a press question.
[caption id="attachment_27246" align="aligncenter" width="574"] Jyothi with her coach James Hillier[/caption]
Her fight didn't end just here. The same year, as the athlete was preparing to represent the country in her maiden international tour for the South Asian Youth Games, COVID stuck the world and all the competitions were called off. With other events like the Indoor Asiad and World University Games also called off in 2020, Jyothi had to wait for her international bow. Things took a bad turn after the athlete sustained a serious back injury, and took a while to return to the track and field.
"She had no confidence because she had injury problems,” James Hillier had told a media outlet during an interview, adding, "She was scared of hurdling at that time. In our first session, the single hurdle was at the lowest setting. She didn’t even want to go over that.”
A rising star
Almost missing the 2021 season, the athlete made her presence felt in 2022 - and how! Jyothi clocked a national-record-setting time of 13.09 seconds at the Federation Cup in Kozhikode but was yet again denied the official mark because it was a wind-assisted run. Refusing to bow down, she made her international debut at the Cyprus International athletics meet in Limassol in May 2022, finally pocketed the women’s 100m hurdles national record with a timing of 13.23 seconds, shattering the previous mark of 13.38 set by Anuradha Biswal way back in 2002. And this win was despite the athlete starting a fraction of a second later than the other participants.
“In India, they use a manual gun to start the race but in Europe, they use an electronic starter. I was not familiar with the sound it makes so I didn’t realise when the race had started. I only started running when I saw the other athletes start,” Jyothi shared during an interview. With a reaction time of 0.243 seconds, Jyothi was the slowest runner off the blocks at the meet by a big margin.
The athlete ended the 2022 season with a flurry as she won gold in the 100m hurdles at the National Games with a new personal best of 12.79s, which made her the first Indian woman to dip below the 13-second mark in her discipline. Unfortunately, however, this win too couldn't make it to the national record.
Olympics in her sights
"My next aim is to win a medal for India in the Olympics," the athlete said, after her most recent win in France, adding, "I aspire to get more young kids to take us athletics as their career. We have an abundance of talent in India and I hope I can help in inspiring youngsters to represent the nation on various international platforms."
(October 2, 2022) CM Arvind Kejriwal's decision to implement the odd-even car rule in the national capital was appreciated not just across the country, but by many foreign leaders as well. However, the scheme that was aimed at curbing the growing rate of pollution and traffic in Delhi, did cause the city dwellers some discomfort. Akshat Mittal's father was one of the people whose schedule was disturbed, as every other day he had to search for a friend who owned a vehicle with an odd registration number. To help his father, and millions of other Delhiites, the then 13-year-old entrepreneur came up with a web platform Odd-even.com - which helped people in New Delhi share rides in 2015. The platform helped over 60,000 people and was later sold to a carpooling company Orahi for an undisclosed amount. “When the Chief Minister declared that odd and even numbered cars will ply on alternate days, I thought about the problem people would face due to enforcement of the new rule. The idea was that many people living in the same locality might want to go to the same place, but might not be aware of each other. My website aims to bridge
o to the same place, but might not be aware of each other. My website aims to bridge the communication gap. Besides, the platform will also help make new contacts," the young entrepreneur told YourStory during an interaction.
However, his story doesn't end here. When the pandemic forced blue-collar workers to migrate back to their native places, Akshat found another online platform, Bharat Shramik, to help the daily wage labourers look for a sustainable livelihood closer to their homes. Decorated with many awards, including the Student Entrepreneur of the Year 2020, this future leader is currently studying business economics at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Like father, like son
When he was just a toddler Akshat would sometimes just sit on his father's lap and watch him develop websites for his work. As he grew up, he too started learning about computer coding programmes from his father. A brilliant child, it didn't take long for the young entrepreneur to create a website all by himself. "I did the HTML, CSS, and JAVA coding, and my father helped me with PHP coding," explained the Global Indian.
[caption id="attachment_22517" align="aligncenter" width="639"] Akshat and his father at the UN Women conference[/caption]
For Odd-even.com, Akshat focussed on connecting people travelling on a similar route to reach their workplace. In fact, his website was so sophisticated that it ran on algorithms based on the age, gender, profession, and timings of commuters' travel. "All you need to do is log in and put your details, including name, registration number of the car, destination, and preferences," shared Akshat. To ensure the riders' safety, the platform also asked the user to log in through their social media platform and upload a government-issued photo identification proof.
Making an impact
When COVID stuck, Akshat was studying in standard XI. One day, while watching the news with his family, the young entrepreneur got to know about migrant workers moving back to their homes in huge numbers. While it seemed like a situation that would solve itself in a couple of days, the news about labours dying of heatstroke, accident, or even starvation moved the young boy. "I was touched by the news of migrant workers starving and dying due to hunger. While there are jobs and unemployed workers, there is no mechanism to tie them together," Akshat shared with Economic Times.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mONpL9lJ24s
After a few weeks of working day and night, Akshat developed a website - Bharat Shramik - that could help with the situation. The platform uses matchmaking technology to help unemployed workers search for a job closer to their homes. The workers can register themselves on the website by calling a multi-lingual helpline number +91 8822 022 022, which is powered by Knowlarity. The platform also helps employers, who had to close operations during the pandemic, to hire a workforce from the website. The database will also be shared with the local governments to help them improve their unemployment programmes.
The young entrepreneur, who aspires to be an investment banker someday, is focussed on helping those in need. "I aspire to initiate a bigger social change in India. I noticed how there was no single repository where citizens can list all the issues that they face daily. I wish to create such a database one day," the changemaker said during a media interaction.
(January 28, 2023) While kids his age were stressing over the upcoming board examinations, 16-year-old Rushil Khosla was busy preparing for international tennis tournaments. And just a couple of days before his Class X Board final exam, the young champion won the prestigious Junior Davis Cup, in Asia. The tennis champ, who has won several cups for the nation, is in the top 200 in International Tennis Federation (ITF) Junior Ranking and was conferred with the Bal Shakti Puraskar in 2020. [caption id="attachment_26865" align="aligncenter" width="650"] Rushil Khosla, young tennis player[/caption] "Playing for India is a great honour and a huge motivation. It brings out the best in my game," the tennis champ said in an interview, adding, "Winning the Davis Cup Qualifiers was phenomenal and a dream come true. I would say that it is the most memorable moment of my career so far. The Davis Cup is a highly prestigious tournament and even as a 10-year-old, I aspired to compete in it." As the young star gears up to win several other trophies for the country, Global Indian takes a look at the incredible journey of this sports star. Starting young The Delhi-based tennis player, who is currently among
ng star gears up to win several other trophies for the country, Global Indian takes a look at the incredible journey of this sports star.
Starting young
The Delhi-based tennis player, who is currently among India’s Top 10 juniors, was introduced to the game at the age of seven by her sister. A huge fan of Rafael Nadal, Rushil had just one goal, to play like his idol. "I started playing at the age of seven-and-a-half. From the very start, I was really interested in sports. My sister used to play tennis and watching her I picked up the racquet as well and got the interest," he said.
A left-hander, Rushil calls himself an all-court player. "People call me doubles specialist for that reason," the champ laughed, adding, "I love to be at the net and hitting the ball hard and keeping the rallies long. I can do everything." Talking about who inspires him the most, the tennis champ said, "While Nadal is my all-time favourite, I am inspired by Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic as well. All three are so different but united in their pursuit of excellence and being the best. From other sports, Virat Kohli inspires me a lot as he is a complete professional and always gives more than 100 percent effort every time he steps out on the field."
After representing his school for about three years, and winning several medals at the local competition, Rushil's parents decided to get him into a more structured training routine and enrolled him at the Roundglass Tennis Academy in Chandigarh, under coach Aditya Sachdeva. "I can say it was a turning point for me," Rushil shared while talking about his coach, "Aditya sir has been my coach for several years now, and it has been great training under him."
Son of a professor, Rushil had to work a little extra to ensure that his grades do not drop at school as well. "I maintain a balance while focusing more on tennis. I utilise my travel time for studies. Instead of taking out a phone for movies or other entertainment, I attend online school classes, make notes instead, and start learning. Mom says I am a quick learner. So I save my playtime with friends. My mother is a professor and my Nana is a Principal and a great teacher with exceptional skills – their support is great," the champion said.
Entering into the big leagues
In 2019, Rushil won 21 of the 23 titles that he played for, and was even selected to represent Asia in the prestigious “Eddie Herr & Junior Orange Bowl” tournament in Florida, USA. After winning a total of six titles in the Asian A grade tournaments, which are the highest level for juniors in the category, he was ranked Asia number 1 in the U-14 category as per ATF Ranking in January 2020 - the same year he received the Bal Shakti Puraskar. Speaking about being conferred with the Bal Shakti Puraskar by the President of India, and also being referred to as a ‘friend’ by PM Modi, Rushil said, “A moment of pride for me and I will cherish the moment forever.”
The champion stepped into 2021 with a huge victory in Nairobi and continued his winning streak even in 2022. Currently standing at the sixth position among India's top 10 Juniors and in the top 200 in the world, Rushil is not worried about his ranking in the least. "Rankings can be motivating and give you the challenge of making the top 100. But other than that, it doesn't matter. I need to work on my game to win tournaments for my country. I used to be a defensive player as I was thin with limited power but my mind and intent are to hit the ball. However, with time I have stepped up to match bigger boys both in mind and skill. At this level, I can’t afford to be defensive, I need to be the aggressor and take my chances."
Aspiring to be as good a sportsman as his inspirations, Rushil has big dreams for the future. "In the next five years, I want to play and win a Junior Grand Slam and start playing on the professional tour. My ultimate goal is to win Olympic gold for my country in 2028," the tennis star expressed.
Sritej with other students from North Allegheny school who participated in the Broadcom Masters[/caption]
Shripriya Kalbhavi[/caption]
Aditya Chaudhary[/caption]
Rohan Kalia[/caption]
Nirvaan Somany founded Project Jeans[/caption]
Kiara Nirghin[/caption]
Jyothi with her coach James Hillier[/caption]
Akshat Mittal, entrepreneur[/caption]
Akshat and his father at the UN Women conference[/caption]
