Remember when you were little and got to go on that school trip?

Recently, 30 school students flew to India from Dubai to play basketball and football. A most excitingevent in the lives of these young athletes, this was the first time some of these kids visited India

For 30 young athletes in Dubai, a recent trip to India was truly memorable. Students of Indian High School (IHS) junior branch, as part of the 'Young Bud Exchange Program', visited India to play basketball and football. There were 17 boys and 13 girls. The girls were on the basketball team. The boys played both football and basketball. Never before had the school taken students so young on a trip. All 30 were in the age group of six to nine years.
The programme, brainchild of Ms. Kamal Jeet Dogra, sports supervisor of IHS, was initiated to instil a love for sports in children. Kids of all backgrounds deserve, as it were, a level playing field, an equal exposure to athletics.
Headed by Ms. Dogra along with assistant supervisor Nitin Sharma, PE co-ordinator Mary Riveira and PE teacher Amit Sangwan, the students visited Shri Ram Global School, Karnal (Haryana), Shiv Nadar School, Noida (Uttar Pradesh) and Mayur Public School, Delhi. They even made new friends in the schools they visited.
"We organised the programme with the philosophy 'Catch them Young,' said Ms. Dogra. "We took them them to Agra, they saw the Taj Mahal. And in Delhi, we took them to India Gate and the Rail Museum."
For some, it was their first trip to India, and doubly exciting for that reason. The kids, as expected, returned full of stories of what they did, what they saw, the ice creams they enjoyed. For Lamha Ahuja, 8, it was the first time she saw a lizard. Others ran after a squirrel for the first time.
Convincing the parents to let the kids go on the trip wasn't easy. But after assurances from the school, the parents felt at ease. The accompanying faculty made sure the kids drank only mineral water and stayed away from dubious oily food. No gol gappas and chaat for them.
In another first, in Karnal, the students experienced staying in a dormitory. At Shri Ram Global School Karnal, the boys and girls had two separate dorm type rooms. The teachers told Khaleej Times that the girls' dormitory was much neater than they boys'. The boys room was a mess, much to the amusement of the girls who "first had a laugh before helping the boys tidy up the place". What were the challenges? For one, braiding the girls' hair! There were only two lady teachers to help the girls. Making sure the children go to sleep on time was a bit of challenge too. In Delhi, the group was put up in a five star, and enjoyed the hotel breakfasts.
Dr Deepa, whose daughter Kashish Wadhwani, 8, was part of the basketball team, said, "Initially, we were apprehensive but all our fears were put to rest by the school and Kamal Jeet ma'am. For us parents, there was an orientation. We were called to school, and whatever questions we had, we could put forth. And they answered all the questions and put us at ease and then only the next step was taken".
"The children were very well taken care of. They developed a camaraderie with their counterparts in India. It gave them a sense of independence, which at such a young age is a great thing. The teachers extended such motherly love that our children never felt homesick. We were missing them but they were not missing us at all!" Not one of them cried being away from home, some for the first time. They were having such a blast, they wanted the trip extended.
Mohammed Raif, father of Afraz, 9, said, "This was the first time he was staying without us. Initially we had doubts whether we should send him or not. But the assurance of the teachers gave us confidence. They updated us every hour on the WhatsApp group. It made us feel like we were there with them. If there is a chance again, I would really like to send my son again. It makes us proud. And hats off to the teachers and the management for giving my son this opportunity."
Gaurav Mehta, father of Yug, said the kids had returned with interesting stories of their trip. "I think this exchange programme has actually brought the best out of the school. We complain that managing one or two kids at such an age is tough at home but 30 kids! I can imagine the riot it must have been. The stories that I've heard after probing them was something which none of us imagined," said Mehta.
The school, incidentally, had specified no phones on the trip. But one of the students had sneaked in a phone and managed to lose it on the trip.
Lekha, who has twin daughters Anjana Anup and Anjali Anup, said, "Initially I was so tense. It was the first time they were going without us. But they took care of them really well. They took the pain to send photos of individual kids."
Lizard-spotting Lamha Ahuja, said, "I really liked the trip to India. When we went to Shri Ram Global School, they welcomed us with roses and chandan tika (sandalwood paste) at 2.30 am! It was very royal for us. We really liked that and we also played friendly matches. We also exchanged numbers. We had a great time over there and we also learnt how to be responsible. At Shri Ram Global School, we had a DJ party and that was fun. When we saw the lizard we were very scared and we were screaming because it was our first time seeing one. We also saw the Taj Mahal for the first time and we went to India Gate."
The littlest, most pampered one, Kashish Peshwani, 6, said, "We had a pool party. We went to the Taj Mahal and India Gate. It was so fun! We also had a pizza party. We also played basketball." For the record, they returned as champions - in girls and boys basketball and runners-up in boys' football.
james@khaleejtimes.com
James lives and breathes sports. When the fancy strikes, he can churn out some memorable local stories

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