New Delhi, Jan 14 Poland's Dagmara Skirzynska was nine years old when she began her sporting journey. Watching the sport of volleyball, Dagmara was lured to it and started competing at school level. As she grew up in the Northern region of Poland, in Gdansk, she began pursuing the sport at a University level, before she was introduced to a whole new world of Kho Kho three years.
"I started playing Kho Kho about three years ago. It all began when someone from Satyam came to our university. Satyam is a management company, and there are cohorts involved in it. So, that's how it all started," she recalled.
Dagmara, 22, is now in India for the inaugural edition of the Kho Kho World Cup, where she is leading the Polish national team as the captain. Having a short height, Dagmara played as a libero in volleyball, and now she uses similar skills in Kho Kho to help her side.
It’s a crazy game and something different for me in Poland. It reminds me of games we used to play in my childhood, like in a Polish barrack. The game is very similar to Kho Kho, so I thought it would be fun to try. "The coordination from volleyball is really helpful. In volleyball, when attackers go to spike, you have to think ahead. It’s the same in Kho Kho—you have to think about the next move," she said.
"Being a libero is all about being having speed, agility, and swiftness, and all those skills are key in being a successful Kho Kho player. So, it has been a smooth transition for me," she added.
Dagmara is currently also pursuing her higher studies in Physical Education at the Gdansk University, and for the past three years, she has been promoting Kho Kho among her school students where she is teaching Physical Education. "I am currently studying and also working as a physical education teacher at a primary school. I teach physical education from first grade to eighth grade. I have also been promoting Kho Kho, and the children are really excited about it. We believe Kho Kho has a bright future globally," she said.
While Poland are yet to open their campaign, the side had a good training session despite the cold weather back home. "It can be challenging. Right now, it's about 1°C, and snow is falling like it's Christmas. We trained indoors because it’s too cold outside to play, and had good training sessions. We are prepared for the tournament," she signed off.
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