a day ago
Athlete-couple Siddhi Hiray and Tejaswin Shankar chart a course for India's NCAA aspirants
Rubbing shoulders with the best university track and field athletes in the United States this week are four Indians — two triple jumpers, a long jumper and a discus thrower. The prestigious National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) outdoor track and field championships are underway at Hayward Field in Oregon. Thousands of miles away, at their Hauz Khas residence, the athlete-couple of Tejaswin Shankar and Siddhi Hiray watch the results closely.
Former sprinter Siddhi and decathlete Tejaswin have a role in the record turnout of Indian athletes in the finals of the championships. Two of the four, triple jumpers Selva Prabhu and Sharvari Parulekar, consulted Siddhi's firm, specialising in admissions for student-athletes. Tejaswin, a two-time NCAA high jump champion, has the 'expertise', while Siddi, he says, is the 'brains' behind starting Kings Sports Group in 2024. The couple have gained recognition as the go-to people for Indian athletes aiming for US university scholarships.
Along with the six Indians they placed in the NCAA, their footprint has expanded with two Sri Lankans and a Croatian also living the American college dream. Siddhi, without a guide to help crack the admission process, missed the NCAA bus. But brighter fate was around the corner.
In 2015, Siddhi and Tejaswin first met as teenage athletes at the World School Games in Wuhan, China, and in time friendship blossomed into love.
When Tejaswin went on a full scholarship to Kansas State University in 2017, the NCAA piqued her interest again. A student of business psychology at the Loughborough University, Siddhi travelled to Kansas in 2021 to figure out the collegiate system in which Tejaswin thrived — by excelling in academics and high jump.
'Tejaswin used to regularly talk about the NCAA competitions. I liked the culture of how sports and studies are both managed well. I observed and met coaches and athletes. I wanted to help Indian athletes get the opportunity that Tejaswin got and I missed out,' Siddhi said.
Tejaswin went through the grind. The Asian Games and Asian Championships silver medalist in decathlon says University life was challenging as well as rewarding. He credits the NCAA circuit for him winning a high jump bronze at the Commonwealth Games and for his evolution as a combined-events athlete. Finding the perfect fit — for the athlete and university — is key to success. That's where Siddhi steps in.
'There are hundreds of universities in Division 1 but most people in India know only A-B-C-D. How does an athlete know if a particular University is good for long jump? Kids see social media posts and want to go to a University but that may not be the best for them. That is where our expertise comes in. For example, mine (Kansas) was good for high jump and combined events. It's about finding the right opportunity for the right athlete. Also, it is only for those who are willing to do academics along with sports. Because you are supposed to have a life outside sport, you can't miss your exams. You need 70 to 75 per cent attendance,' Tejaswin said.
Pavana Nagaraj, the 2024 Asian under-20 long jump champion, moved to San Diego University in September. Pavana travelled directly from the World Under-20 Champions in Lima to the USA. Wanting to step out of her comfort zone, she got talking with Tejaswin, before Siddhi hand-held her during the application process.
Pavana, 19, is pursuing an undergraduate course in communication. She's from a sporting family — her mother Sahana Kumari, the women's national record holder in the high jump, while father BG Nagaraj, a former sprinter.
'I moved to a US university as I was looking for more exposure. A lot of collegiate athletes eventually turn professional, so training and competing with them gives you a lot of confidence. The training methods, coaching, facilities make a lot of difference. It is very competitive and that makes you tougher,' Pavana said.
Pradeep Senthilkumar, a specialist in the 400m and 800m, too travelled to the other end of the world. He and his coach in India didn't see eye-to-eye. He reached out to Siddhi on Instagram. 'I did some research and found that performance-wise, he would get a scholarship. After that, I connected with him,' Siddhi said. Pradeep was all in, he even quit his railway job to make the move to the University of Nebraska.
Pavana and Pradeep had medals to show for but another class of athletes are eager to enter the elite collegiate system — those who finish outside the podium at national meets or promising juniors experiencing stagnation.
'Usually, those who finish 1-2-3 don't want to change anything because they are doing well. It is those who finish 4-5-6-7, the kids who want to change something because they are talented, are putting in the effort but are not doing as well as they expected,' Tejaswin said.
University intake is twice a year, in August during fall and in January during spring, but Siddhi works around the year, scouting for talented athletes, talking to parents of athletes who are full of questions, checking athlete eligibility for scholarship, creating athlete profiles, helping in filling application forms, putting athletes in touch with the right university coach and also visa application. Burning midnight oil comes with the job because of the time-zone difference.
However, it's a dead end for athletes who don't know English and don't want to learn it. The Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) is required only for the top universities, while TOEFL or Duolingo suffice for others.
'The recruitment process is year-long. There will be lots of questions from our side and their side. We have to wait for the coaches to accept, then see if the athlete likes the particular university that has an offer. After that applications, tests, then a US visa which takes a lot of time now,' Siddhi said.
In her heyday, she lost the NCAA opportunity. Today the one-time sprinter is ensuring the next generation of Indian athletes don't.
