Page 32 - EW July 2022

Young Achievers

naments was unavoid- founded Bodhi Trail, a digital social
able,” says Mithun, who outreach programme with a national
enrolled in the National footprint.
Institute of Open School- “To spread the message of
ing to complete his Plus communal harmony, Bodhi Trail
Two and later graduated organised a national conference on
in psychology from the the International Day of Conscience
Karnataka State Open (April 5). We brought five promi-
University. “Moreover, nent religious leaders including
my coaches — Korea’s Ven Geshe Dorji Damdul, Dr. Kalbe
Young Soung, Vimal Rushaid Rizvi, Rev. Dr. Roby Kan-
Kumar and Sagar Chopda nanchira and Vishnu Bhakta Dasa
— helped me improve my on our platform to discuss ways and
play and court-craft,” he means to promote social harmony.
adds. By congregating leaders of various
Introduced to the game creeds together to exchange ideas
at age seven (2005) when about social service and activism,
MITHUN MANJUNATH he was enrolled in a beginners’ camp Bodhi Trail hopes to highlight the
most significant aspect of spiritual-
of the Malleswaram Badminton
Association, Mithun soon began win- ity — acceptance and community
South-Eastern Railway ning club tournaments and quickly service,” says Riaan.
employee and trainee at Ben- graduated to district and state-level Converted to Buddhist spiritual-
A galuru’s world-class Prakash tournaments in which he bagged the ism and philosophy after the sudden
Padukone Badminton Academy U-10 and U-15 championships. passing of his much loved grandfa-
(PPBA), Mithun Manjunath is Unsurprisingly, this young shut- ther (Air Vice Marshal (Retd.) Arun
making waves on the international tler’s top priority is to don India Kumar Tiwary) when he was ten
badminton circuit. colours. “Although I fell short in the years old, Riaan subsequently signed
In the Super Series 100 tour- trials of the Asian Games 2022, I up for a course on Buddhism at the
nament of the Badminton World will make strenuous efforts to live Harvard School of Divinity, visited
Federation staged in Orleans my dream to participate and win a Bodh Gaya and completed reading
(France) in April, this 23-year-old, medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics,” the Tipitaka scriptures, Agatha and
ranked #74 internationally, scored says Mithun, who was recently se- Lotus sutras. From his understand-
a stunning victory over world #22 lected for the Grand Prix Badminton ing of Buddhist philosophy and paci-
Hans-Kristian Solberg Vittinghus League’s Malnad Falcons at a maxi- ficism, Buddha Trail was promoted
(Denmark) in the quarters to reach mum auction price of Rs.3.5 lakh. in 2018 and renamed Bodhi Trail in
his first international final. Power to your racquet, Bro! 2020.
Although Mithun eventually The elder son of Ratnesh Kumar
lost to local favourite Toma Junior Paromita Sengupta (Bengaluru) Jha, CEO-India and South Asia, Bur-
Popov, he draws considerable com- lington English, and mother Anjali
fort from his performance which Tiwary, an entrepreneur, this social
gave top-ranked global players a RIAAN KUMAR activist intends to sign up for an
close run. “Playing against veteran undergraduate degree programme in
players has given me valuable expe- public policy and enlightenment.
rience. My game’s getting stronger,” ith incidents of religious, God speed!
he says. caste and communal vio- Autar Nehru (Delhi)
Earlier in January, he reached Wlence rising countrywide,
the semi-finals of the Syed Modi protest voices of the post-
International Super 300 cham- millennial generation are Riaan (left) with religious leaders
pionship and the quarters of the becoming louder. A case
Odisha Super 100. Moreover last in point is Gurugram-
December, he won four All India based Riaan Kumar (18)
titles including the All India Senior who is determined “to
Ranking Badminton tournament. promote inter-faith com-
The only child of S. Manjunath, munal harmony through
institutional manager of Raman & enlightenment and public
Weil Pvt. Ltd, and homemaker S. policy.”
Veena, Mithun attributes his suc- A class XII arts stu-
cess to sustained family support and dent of the high-ranked
quality coaching. “From the begin- The Shri Ram School,
ning, my parents never imposed Aravalli, Riaan began his
any pressure to give up sports for crusade against rising
studies. They accepted that missing communal discord at age
some classes to accommodate tour- 14. Four years later, he

32 EDUCATIONWORLD JULY 2022