Kolkata's First ‘Extreme Sports’ Community - GetBengal story
Have you heard of Kolkata’s first thrilling sports community that is open to all? Fans of extreme sports in Bengal have formed a community called Extreme Kolkata. However, what does the term "extreme sports" mean? Extreme sports are high-risk, adrenaline-pumping activities that are best suited for those who are daring and thrill-seeking. Examples of these sports are MMA and skating. A community with over 200 members, it is open to everyone regardless of age, gender, race, and socio-economic background. There are only three criteria for becoming a member of this community: kindness, compassion, and love for extreme sports.
Founded by Rahul Chakraborty more than two years ago, he credits his family with the idea to create such a community. Growing up in an army family, Rahul saw the strong sense of community in the armed forces, where social barriers were non-existent and everyone mingled and had a shared sense of responsibility. He saw the social prejudices around him and decided to make a community inclusive of everyone. “People from all walks of life, including those over 60, are a part of our community. We welcome anyone who is willing to share their tools and mingle with everyone. I believe that we should celebrate our differences, and that is why this community is inclusive of everyone. Anyone can come and participate in our community.”
When asked about the significance of the term "extreme," he answered that it was close to his heart. “We do sports that have high chances of injury, like downhill skating, MMA, etc." Suppose I fall down and you help me up; that acts as a bonding moment." I believe that bonding over adversities makes us stronger and closer. In the army, people often bond over adversities, and it makes their bonds stronger.
"I was exposed to a lot of sports growing up. I wanted to share this thrill with everyone. Unprivileged kids come here, and we encourage them to take up sports to stay away from negative influences since even their day-to-day survival is a constant battle.”
When asked about where they practise their sports, he answered that the community does not have a designated space. “We are trying to secure the first ever skatepark in Kolkata and are working on that. But while that happens, we utilise the helipad area of Eco Park. It is mostly a commercial venue, but fairs or melas don’t take place all year round. When there are no fairs happening, we utilise this space and the additional parking lot for our sports. It has a concrete floor and is on flat ground, so it is best suited for sports and skating. We usually practise on the weekends from 4pm onwards, and everyone is free to join, share, and mingle.”
When asked about the criteria for becoming a member of the community, he replied that it was not a complicated process. “We welcome everyone. You just come down to the park, meet everyone, and engage in the activities together. We observe how the person is behaving with others. There are some who are privileged and some who are not, so we expect the privileged to share with the underprivileged. The entire concept of our community is to provide a safe space for everyone. If the person is being kind and compassionate towards others, we happily welcome him or her aboard. But if they are unable to do so, we politely ask them to leave.”
When asked about expanding the community, Rahul expressed the joy of reaching out to other communities with similar interests beyond Kolkata and working with them to increase their exposure and provide a space for interested candidates to explore their hidden potentials. “We are reaching out to communities around the country. I am already in contact with several extreme sports and skating communities. We are collaborating with a skating park called Desert Dolphins in Rajasthan and planning on organising a big skating festival. We plan to take the children with us. We are also working with various directors and organisers for this event. The idea is to support one another and grow the community.”
