Khelshala Achievers Club

Welcome to the Khelshala Achievers Club, where your contributions can help change a child's life.

Khelshala conducts its S.A.Y. Program for approximately 100 underprivileged children, and runs 6 days a week for 3 hours per day at two locations. Village Attawa in Chandigarh, and Village Majra in Punjab. From this group of 100 children, Khelshala aims to recognize and encourage 15 high achieving students (or potentially high achieving) through our new initiative, known as the Khelshala Achievers Club (K.A.C.). This would enable greater success for high achieving students. Collectively, the Khelshala Achievers Club will represent the best that Khelshala has to offer, and provide an incentive for other students and parents to seek excellence in their endeavours. For more information about KAC members click.

Our goal is to raise $15,000 annually for the Khelshala Achievers Club. To make a contribution, please visit our Donations page.

Namaste!!! "My name is Anand, I am 15 years old and I have been coming to Khelshala since I was 10 years old.
I heard of Khelshala through my parents who wanted me to join so that I could improve my English. Today, I am happy to say that Khelshala has helped me in that department and more! I communicate easily in English, my general knowledge has expanded a lot and I am more fit. Even my behaviour has improved, although my teachers keep telling me to think before I speak! My favourite aspect of Khelshala is squash. I love the game, it allows us to work out and gives us power. I hope to one day travel the world and study in a University in America and become a businessman, a cricket player or maybe even an actor….

There are four members in my family and we all live in one rented room and share a bathroom with other families. My father is a scrap worker and my mother is a housewife.
Family income: Rs.13 000 per month.”

Namaste!!! "My name is Anjali Kumari, I am 17 years old and I have been coming to Khelshala since I was 11 years old. I stopped coming for 9 months last year because of family problems, but I was eager to come back. I heard about Khelshala for the first time through my older brother who said it was a very good place with good teachers. Khelshala is important to me because we learn so much here, it brings so much to our life. Without Khelshala, I would spend all my time in my home and wouldn’t know how to behave with people outside of my village. But with Khelshala, I am active, I practise an exclusive sport and I even travel all over the country for squash tournaments! Other kids like my school friends do not get to do all of that. Today I am doing really well in studies and I am fit. I would like to become a squash player in the future.

There are 5 members in my family, we all live in one rented room and share a bathroom with another family. My father is a scrap dealer and my mother is a housewife.
Family income: Rs.10 000 per month.”

Sat Shri Akal!!! "My name is Rajwinder, I am 20 years old and I have been at Khelshala, Majra, since 2013 when the site opened. I had done my graduation in Bachelor in Arts in Punjab University and now working as a Assistant Tennis Coach in Khelshala Majra. I first heard of Khelshala when Rathee Sir, our tennis Coach, came to my school to introduce himself and the NGO. I was immediately excited about the idea of playing tennis. Khelshala is important to me because it brings a lot to my life and I get to work out. I notice a difference between us kids who’ve been coming to Khelshala for a few years and the other kids from our village. Khelshala helps us stay away from bad habits like drugs and alcohol, maybe because sport gives us a goal and the discipline to do what it takes to attain that goal.

I have 6 members in my family, we live in a small house where I sleep in the same room with my two brothers. My father is a groundman and my mother is a housewife.
Family income: Rs. 15 000 per month.”

Sat Shri Akal!!! “My name is Gurdeep, I am 19 years old and I have been coming to Khelshala, Majra, since the first day it opened. I am currently studying in college, doing a bachelor in Arts. Khelshala has not only given me help in studies and tennis coaching, it has also taught me how to behave and how to speak and interact with people outside of my village. At Khelshala, along with tennis, I have discovered fitness and how to take care of my body. I love working out to stay fit so that in the future, I can become an army officer and serve the nation. I also would like to stay involved with Khelshala and help out, maybe as a fitness Coach.

I have 6 members in my family, we live in a small house where I sleep in the same room with my two brothers. My father is a groundman and my mother is a housewife.
Family income: Rs. 15 000 per month.”

Hello!!! “My name is Suwaib, I am 16 years old and I have been coming to Khelshala, Majra, since the first day it opened. Bajwa Sir visited my village’s school to introduce Khelshala and told us where and when to meet him if we were interested. I still remember my first day at Khelshala, it felt great, I loved the game. Since I joined, I have gotten really good in tennis and even won the Guru Nanak Public School Tennis Tournament in Chandigarh.(Recently I got 3rd place in Punjab state Lawn Tennis Tournament BU-17 category. Other kids in my village don’t get to experience everything I have experienced. I have also noticed that Khelshala has taught me how to do things properly and how to study more thoroughly. One day, I want to be a professional player while also remaining active at Khelshala in tennis and fitness.

I have 6 members in my family and we all live and sleep in a small, one room house. The kitchen is a part of that room and we have small separate toilets. We use the hand pump to get water. We do not live in the village but on a farm. My father works for the owner of that farm as a labourer and my mother is a housewife.
Family income: Rs. 8 000 per month.”

Sat Shri Akal!!! “My name is Gurpreet, I am 20 years old, and I am one of Khelshala’s original kids at the Majra site. Before the site was set up, I used to come there to cut wood. One day, I saw constructors working on the farm and I asked what they were building. That is how I was invited to join. On my first day, I was very excited, I had no idea what tennis was but I loved the idea. Today, I can see a difference between us Khelshala students and the other village kids. We have learned discipline here. In the almost 4 years that I have spent at Khelshala, I have also gained in confidence which is why my Coach has named me Head Boy. As a Head Boy and one of the senior students, I manage and Coach the younger kids, I maintain the discipline, prepare the courts and string the tennis rackets. As a player, I came third (Under 19) in the Punjab State School tournament. In the future I want to become a professional tennis player and stay involved with Khelshala to help other kids reach State level. Khelshala is very important to me because it has introduced me to a game I am passionate about, it has helped me in studies, helped me grow as a person and develop good citizenship qualities. Now I am working in Indian School of Business (ISB), Mohali as a tennis coach, and its all happen just because of Khelshala.

I have 6 members in my family, and we all sleep in one room which is also our kitchen. My father is a farmer and my mother is a housewife.
Family income: Rs. 10 000 per month.”

Sat Shri Akal!!! “My name is Amrit Pal, I am 17 years old and I have been coming to Khelshala, Majra, since the first day it opened in 2013. Khelshala has given me a platform, an opportunity, to explore my potential. I have participated in different Championships and I was a semi-finalist in a Paragon Ace Academy Tennis Championship. My family’s income is actually higher than most of the other kids’ here, but even then, tennis would have remained only a dream if it weren’t for Khelshala as it is a very expensive and exclusive sport. I work hard and my Coach tells me I have the potential to go far in tennis, one day I hope to become a professional player. My favourite aspect of Khelshala is the game but I am also grateful for the help in studies that we are getting as well as the yoga classes. This combination of different aspects of education has given us a lot, including discipline.

I have 4 members in my family, we live in a medium sized house with 3 rooms, one of which I share with my sibling. My father is a policeman and my mother is a housewife.
Family income: Rs. 27 000 per month.”

Hi!!! “My name is Divyansh, I am 10 years old and I have been at Khelshala since 2014. I always used to look at Khelshala from the outside and then one day my friend Jaskaran told me about what they did in there and I wanted to try so I told my father I wanted to go too. At Khelshala I get to play squash, practice yoga and have a lot of fun! The best memory I have there is when I participated in the 2 star squash tournament in our facilities. I am not very good in studies but I am improving a lot in squash, which is my favourite aspect of Khelshala. I also love that we sometimes do activities outside our village.

There are three members in my family and we all live in one rented room with a separate bathroom that we share with other families. My father is a scrap dealer and my mother is a housewife.
Family income: Rs. 9000 per month.“

Sat Shri Akal!!! “My name is Abhishek, I am 17 years old and have been at Khelshala since 2009. The first time my father asked me if I wanted to play squash, my answer was, “what is that?” Currently, I have been playing squash for last 9 years. In 2013, I was ranked 12th in Junior National Squash Championships. Due to the sport, I have been to places like Mumbai, Chennai, Jodhpur & Bhopal.In Khelshala Junior Squash Open 2018 I secured winner trophy under BU-17 category and it was the most happiest and emotional moments for me and my family. I was an introvert but with this exposure, I have gained a lot of confidence. I love to play the game and work as volunteer at Khelshala to do Seva (Service) and administration work. One day, I want to be a very good squash player and make my country and my people proud.

I have 8 members in my family of which my father works as a coach in Khelshala and my mother is a housewife.
Family Income: Rs. 15000 per month.”

Hello!!! “My name is Anurag, I am 16 years old and have been at Khelshala since 2012. I learned about Khelshala through my sister Aarti. I joined Khelshala primarily to play squash tournaments and to grow as a person. My father died a few months ago, which was a major setback for me. It was a big shock but Khelshala has helped me come out of it. I am trying to be more responsible for my family than I used to be, by taking an active role in day to day affairs. Squash is my life and it is a very big stress reliever for me. I want to be a squash player when I grow up and want to give back to Khelshala in the future. I have played twice in the State squash Championships and was runner up. I was not very good in academics but Khelshala tutors helped me in making my grades better. My communication skills have also improved a lot in the last few months. Thank you Khelshala for supporting me during my difficult moments.

I have five member in my family of which my mother is a baby sitter. We live in one rented room.
Family Income: Rs. 5000 per month.“

Namaste!!! “My name is Sonali, I am 16 years old and have been at Khelshala since 2012. I came to know about Khelshala from my friend Preeti, who was a member of Khelshala. I like to come here and enjoy studying and playing sport with my friends. In last few years, I have learned to focus through yoga which is an integral part of SAY program in Khelshala. It has improved my academics and sport to a great extent. I used to play Kho Kho before coming to Khelshala and had a lot of injuries. At Khelshala, we are taught how to play safe and how to avoid injuries to oneself. I want to be a Squash Coach like Mr. Bajwa and Ms. Karen one day, as they both are very big inspirations for me. I would like to give back to children of Khelshala, what I have gained from here.

I have four members in my family and we stay in one rented room. My mother is domestic helper and my father works at a shop selling plastic products.
Family Income: Rs. 7000 per month.”

Hello!!! “My name is Shivam, I am 16 years old and have been at Khelshala since 2011. I love playing squash and have improved significantly in the game due to constant mentoring of my seniors in Khelshala. I want to be a doctor. I am very sincere student and deeply dedicated to Khelshala program. I am hard worker and learn quickly. I am always ready for help, whether it is Seva (Service), warms up for beginners or administrative duties. I have demonstrated great improvement in Squash in recent times. At present I am promoted to the seat of Head Boy.

I have four member in my family and we all live in one rented room. My mother is a domestic help and father is mason.
Family Income: Rs 5000 per month.”

Namaste!!! “My name is Anjali, I am 16 years old and have been at Khelshala since 2013. I learned about Khelshala through my friends and became aware about sports at Khelshala. I told my mother that I would like to join them and this is how my journey at Khelshala started. Thanks to my tutors and teachers at Khelshala, they have taught me how to have discipline, sense of ownership and responsibility. In particular, my yoga teacher at Khelshala has taught us that whatever we do, we should do it with our heart. Given this positive encouragement, I started taking interest academics and sport and as a result, have attained good grades in recent times. In the future, I would like to be the Director of Khelshala like Ms Sujata and run the institution with continued honesty and sincerity and help children to achieve their goals in life. I lost my father in an accident in 2010 and since then my mother is the only breadwinner.

I have four family members and we are living in one rented room, which I feel is not enough in terms of space and cleanliness.
Family income: Rs.7000 per month.”

Sat Sri Akal!!! “My name is Parul, I am 14 years old and have been at Khelshala since 2012. I learned about Khelshala from my sister Ashu. I joined Khelshala in order to improve my academics, but later I realized that there is lot to learn here. I love to play squash now. One day, I want to be an IPS (Indian Police Services) officer because I want to make my family proud. I know, if I perform well, Khelshala can help me in getting into a better school, which as a result will help me in achieving my dreams.

I have five family members and we live in one rented room. My father is an electrician and mother is a house wife.
Family Income: Rs.6000 per month.”

Hello!!! “I am Shilpi, I am 14 years old and have been at Khelshala since 2014. Since my brother was already in program, I joined too. After joining Khelshala, with help of my mentors and tutors, I am able to improve a lot in academics & sport. My teachers say that I have great potential and energy to be a leader. Yes, I like to lead from the front whether sport or seva (service). Now I am Junior Head Girl at Khelshala but try to improve more to get Head Girl chair. I am ready to work hard to achieve my goals in life and make my family proud. One day, I want to be a teacher and come back to teach children of Khelshala.

I have four member in my family and we all live in one rented room. My mother is a domestic help and father is mason.
Family income: Rs 5000 per month.”

Khelshala Achievers Club

Thank you!