This 12-Year-Old Shows Us That It's Not Impossible To Score In Sports AND Academics
Forget stereotypes about straight-A students and athletes, 12-year-old Dharini is living proof that you can have your cake and eat it too.
Published for Sponsored , 09 Mar 2015, 12:00 PM
Who said you can't have the best of both worlds? As straight-A student Dharini Saravanan puts is, it's "not hard" to excel in your studies AND be good in sports at the same time.
"I don't agree with... if you are good in school, you're not good in sports, and if you're good in sports, you're not good in school," Dharini said.
In fact, the bright 12-year-old scored 7As in the recent 2014 UPSR examinations, saying that it's "not so hard" to achieve such results. All she did was to "sacrifice watching TV" and practice good time management.
Dharini manages her time by following a timetable for study and sports, which she sticks closely to with no small amount of self-discipline.
Last year, she was awarded "Best Student" in her school, besides receiving the award for "Tokoh Nilam" in a nationwide reading programme.
But Dharini has a secret. She cheekily reveals that she does not like to read, despite a lot of people thinking so. She'd much rather play football because "football is more fun!"
Dharini was inspired to pick up football thanks to her father, who has always been active in the sport. She usually practices football in the garden outside of her house with her father and three younger siblings.
An adventurous person in her own right, Dharini is also pretty active in other sports such as swimming and golf. She has always been out and about doing outdoor activities with her family since she was young.
Dharini was one of 64 talented youngsters to join a week-long intensive training football camp last year, where she was awarded Best Sports Person", much to her delight.
"When I got the "Best Sports Person", I was very happy and excited, and I was waiting to tell my parents about this."
Living with a family who supports Liverpool FC, it is no wonder that Dharini's biggest dream is to play for the women's league in her favourite football team.
Nor surprisingly, Dharini's favourite football player is Liverpool's current captain, Steven Gerrard.