All Daulati wanted was to play. But the 14-year-old’s exuberance was lost on her parents who thought it was a waste of her time. Unable to score good marks, Daulati was afraid that she would be taken out of her school in the village Andhra Chowki, Patna. She did not want to meet the fate of many around her and get married off. “I saw the movie Saina and was deeply inspired. She [Saina Nehwal] braved all odds, trained for badminton with a broken foot to reach her goal,” explains Daulati Kumari. Restless with untapped potential, Daulati found a window of opportunity. 

She observed remedial classes being held  by the Girls Education Program (GEP) in her school. She figured if she became a good student, maybe she would be allowed to continue studying and playing  in the school. Daulati approached the teacher of the GEP and sought her help. She knew she needed to work on her mathematics to improve her overall score. Khushboo, the GEP teacher, connected with the Headmaster of the Andhra Chowki School in Patna to see and understand her records. 

Daulati belongs to a family of six members including her parents, two brothers and one sister. Coming from a financially disadvantaged family of farmers who themselves are uneducated, Daulati did not have a conducive environment to pursue her dreams. Khushboo Kumari, GEP teacher, saw a familiar story emerging. Like Daulati, Khushboo too loved to play but her dreams were thwarted. According to her,  “I was a district level athlete, but my parents did not allow me to play further. I did not want Daulati to have the same fate as me. I want her to explore every opportunity she can get.”

It took a lot of convincing and counselling of the parents by the GEP teacher to make them agree for the after-school remedial classes and training. After some struggle her parents relented, and Daulati finally joined as an additional student of class IX under the program in August 2021. Besides focusing on education, this program encouraged the students in sports and other extracurricular activities. Daulati never lost sight of her goal. After her school hours, she used to take extra classes post her remedial classes and evening sports practice.                                                                                                                                                      

Soon, the results of the hard work started showing. Daulati excelled with encouragement and opportunities to participate.  She won first prizes in all the competitions at school, block and the district levels she took part in for shot put, long jump and high jump. In March 2023, she secured 4th position in shot put at the state level. Furthermore, by improving in math and English subjects, she has been scoring good marks and has recently passed her Xth standard with a second division. 

Daulati’s infectious and indomitable spirit has started inspiring many and the ripple effect can be seen in her school where other girls are following her suit. “I would love to pursue sports as a profession. But if that does not work out, I will want to be a Police Officer,” quips Daulati who is also known as the Sports Girl of Andhra Chowki in her village.