I attended classes in Chennai for some time. “I studied up to 14 hours a day in the last four months. Recently, when the results for the Chartered Accountancy exams were announced, Gnana Sampath was pleasantly surprised to find that he ranked third in the country. “I did my B.Com in Coimbatore and then my articleship.” When he chose to pursue commerce, his uncle, a graduate himself, supported his decision and asked him to also take up Chartered Accountancy.

Though they could barely make ends meet, they encouraged him to study. This being difficult, his parents, who are agricultural labourers, sent him to Ellapalayam to live and study with his grandparents. Gnana Sampath – All-India rank holder in CAīorn and brought up in a village called Pogalur near Coimbatore, Gnana Sampath grew up walking a few kilometres and taking a bus to school everyday. “We’d like to start a coaching club for underprivileged children who are interested in sport so that we can encourage more champions to emerge,” she says. In 2010, when it was held in the United States, different institutions came forward with sponsorships and I won that year as well.” With a job at a reputed Government institution and a husband who shares her interest, Ilavazhagi now looks towards starting a coaching club for people with similar interests. “The world championship was held in France and I won that as well. Fortunately, an IAS officer sponsored her trip and she went on to become the World Champion in carom that year. When she had a chance to participate in the World Championship in 2006, funds were hard to come by. When I participated in a school tournament and won, my physical training teacher and the principal of my school presented me a carom board,” she says.įor three years, Ilavazhagi bagged the Junior Champion title (2000 to 2002) and next three saw her win the National Youth Champion title (2003 to 2005). Ilavazhagi quit school after standard nine but her tryst with the square board spread her name far and wide.The family lived in a slum in Vyasarpadi and couldn’t afford a carom board. A rickshaw driver, he helped his daughter Ilavazhagi hone her skills in carom, after he realised her talent for the game. Iruthayaraj wanted his daughters to be independent and accomplished, because his father didn’t allow him to.

Fortune favours the brave quotes