Chiselling Sports Champions: Best Teacher Award for Sports Teacher

Tell My Story

49 year old Dr Godwin Vedanayam Rajkumar, a Physical Education Teacher from the Government Boys’ Higher Secondary School at Alanganallur, in Madurai is one of two teachers from Tamil Nadu to receive the National Best Teacher Award from President Murmu this year. He’s the first sports teacher from the state to receive this honour in a long time.

Into his 26th year of teaching Godwin has consistently demonstrated his passion for nurturing sporting talent among his students, largely from humble backgrounds besides developing sports infrastructure at his government school

“I used to get students trained from experts even in games I was not good at like fencing and boxing when the sports development authority of Tamil Nadu introduced them”, Godwin told tellmystory.in

Godwin also shot to limelight two decades ago after his students wrote a 73 metre long letter to the then Chief Minister Jayalalithaa seeking a basket ball court after which the local MLA intervened to build one. Thanks to this, last year his school at the capital of taming the bill festival Jallikattu emerged No. 2 in football nationally.

His efforts also got the district administration build a boxing ring on campus. This is the only government school in the state to have a boxing ring till date.

The government school doesn’t have a swimming pool but Godwin trained students in local wells and water bodies and the students turned swimming champions.

His school has also made a mark in Taekwondo, Judo and Corf Ball game. His student captained the state team that had won a bronze recently.

On what his future plans, Godwin added “I want to bring a games to our school like Archery and Rifle Shooting. These are very expensive. I am working to make it happen as our rural students have lots of talent and this would be a great opportunity for them”.

Born and brought up in Madurai, Godwin had graduated from the American College and pursued his bachelor’s, master’s and M Phil at the YMCA College of Physical Education in Chennai. His Ph D was on Yoga and sports.

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