David Beckham, Indian cyclist
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Career
2020: A stellar January
Amit Kumar, Jan 20, 2020: The Times of India
From: Amit Kumar, Jan 20, 2020: The Times of India
NEW DELHI: Think David Beckham and you will of course think of the former England star footballer who still rules social media, with over 60 million followers on Instagram.
But guess what, India has an athlete called David Beckham too. But he doesn’t play football. In fact, he is a cyclist and is just 17 years old.
If you go to Parka village in Car Nicobar in Nicobar and ask for David Beckham, people will take you to his small house where he stays with his maternal uncle (mama) and maternal grandfather. You will also see an old bicycle in the backyard of his house, which has helped the 17-year-old earn the nickname of ‘Cyclist David Beckham’. He doesn’t own a professional cycle. He has a roadster bicycle. He has removed its mudguard and top tube so that he can practice in his village.
Timesofindia.com caught up with the 17-year-old David Beckham who is the centre of attraction at the ongoing Khelo India Youth Games. David clinched a gold medal in the U-17 sprint cycling event with a timing of 10.891 seconds. He also won a bronze medal in the U-17 team sprint event.
How he got the name
David wasn’t born yet when the David Beckham, the football star was playing in the 2002 World Cup. His maternal uncle, who is a big fan of Beckham's and his friends were watching a World Cup match between England and Argentina. When Beckham scored a magnificent free kick against Argentina and led England to a 1-0 win, David’s uncle celebrated all night.
“My mama (maternal uncle) is a big fan of David Beckham's. I have never seen a mad fan like him. In 2002 they celebrated and danced all night when Beckham scored the goal and took his team to a win. I was born in 2003 and he fought with my mother and my nana (maternal grandfather) to give me the name – David Beckham. That’s how I got the name,” the 17-year-old told Timesofindia.com.
How do people react when they hear his name?
David went on to share some interesting incidents that he has experienced thanks to his unique name.
“People often ask me why I don’t play football. I always reply saying - if I play football, how will you see the difference between the two Beckhams. One should be different from the other , right? (laughs),” David said.
“Many a time when I travel for tournaments, people are very curious and they want to come and meet me. They think I will look like the legendary footballer (laughs). But I am a cyclist and I am proud of that. I want to be known as cyclist David Beckham. He is world famous because of his football skills. I can also make my name in the cycling arena,” a confident David said.
“It feels good when you draw attention. Who doesn’t like it? People show their love and affection. I am from a small village and want to make a name for myself,” he said.
How will David Beckham, the cyclist, react if he meets footballer David Beckham?
“Firstly, I won't believe it. I might pinch myself to check if he (David Beckham) is really there. I will simply go and say – My name is David Beckham and I am an Indian cyclist. I will say this before he says anything. I will wait for his reaction after that,” he said.
David Beckham the cyclist’s inspiration
David draws inspiration from cyclists Deborah Harold and Esow Alben. Deborah, who is also from Car Nicobar, won two gold medals at the Herald Track Asia Cup in 500m time trial and the team sprint. She also won five medals at the Taiwan Cup Track International Classic in 2015. Esow had created history in August 2018 be winning India’s first junior cycling World Cup silver medal in the men’s keirin event of the UCI Junior Track Cycling World Championships held in Aigle, Switzerland.
“The reasons I opted for professional cycling are Deborah didi and Esow. She is an idol for me. She has won many medals for India and I want to do the same. I have met her a couple of times and took cycling tips. She is so nice and humble," David told TimesofIndia.com.
“My ultimate dream is to get into the senior team and win an Olympic medal for my country,” David said.
David used to be a footballer too
Thanks to his name, David was almost forced to play football in his early years. He played local tournaments and did well, but destiny had something else in store for the youngster.
“I started with football. I was a forward in my team. I played football in school and won many medals at inter-school levels. I represented junior teams in Subrata Cup. I also got a call-up from some football clubs in Goa. I played for junior teams of FC Goa and Dempo. But I never wanted to play team sports. Sometimes you get a chance (to play), sometimes you don’t. You are made to sit out despite good performances. This frustrated me a lot. I decided to play individual sports. That’s why I opted for cycling. I met Deborah didi and she guided me a lot,” David said.
The tragedy and the struggle
David has seen a lot of ups and downs in life already. He was a year old when his father died in the 2004 Tsunami and then lost his mother due to a throat infection in 2014. Since then, he is being looked after by his maternal uncle and maternal grandfather. “I miss them (my father and mother). I wish they were alive today to see me grow in cycling. They would have been so happy today. I lost my father too early. I was very close to my mother. I was numb when she left me. I am thankful to my nana and mama who have done everything for me,” David said.
“My nana and mama start the day early and collect coconuts. Then they take out the cream from the coconuts, put it in a big vessel and heat it on a chulha (Indian style hand-made stove). When the cream turns into oil, they fill that in bottles and sell in the market. That’s how they run the house and support my career as well,” he said.
“As they knew I wanted to be a cyclist, they bought me an old roadster bicycle. I have removed the mud guards and top tube so that I can land safely. I practice with that cycle. We can’t afford to have a professional cycle as it is too expensive. If I go ahead and continue cycling professionally, I am sure I will get a professional cycle one day,” David said.
“I have performed well in Khelo India. I have won medals here. The guidance and support are amazing. I want to take this learning to the next level now. My dream is to make it to the senior team and win an Olympic medal for my country,” David signed off.
