Moldovan Tennis star Dmitrii Baskov helping feed poor in Ahmedabad

The international player had come to India in January to visit an academy but later got stuck due to the pandemic.

Moldovan Tennis player Dmitrii Baskov is making good use of his time amid the lockdown period in India by taking part in a noble cause in helping feed the poor and needy in Ahmedabad. Baskov had arrived in India back in January to visit a tennis academy, but the growing pandemic situation didn’t allow him to go back home with all modes of transportation being shut down.

As a result, the 25-year-old tennis star has made use of his time by helping out by packing food for the needy in Ahmedabad. He has voluntarily joined a team whose responsibility is to pack bread, rice and other dishes at the Ace Tennis Academy with the food destined to be delivered to the city’s slum and containment areas.

Speaking to AFP about this gesture, Baskov said: “My friend Pramesh Modi mentioned this (idea of feeding the poor) and I said yes, sounds great and the next day we did it and it continued day after day.”

“One hundred, 200, 300 packets and then we realised we are doing some great stuff. It is not a daily desire or action, it is now a natural act of helping."

“I am a sportsman and nothing more than that but the desire to help is always with me.”

The food packages which is packaged by Baskov and his team are being picked up by the workers of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation before being delivered to all the areas.

Pramesh’s wife Ami Modi told AFP about Baskov’s work as well, saying: “He (Baskov) wraps the rotis (bread) in the silver foil with absolute precision."

“He is passionate and particular with what he is doing. Since the time he got to know of this act, he has joined us and is a hero.”

Moreover, a person who also packs the food alongside Baskov, Mitul Parikh said: “He is an Indian hero and could be a role model for a number of Indians who have not come out of their houses to even help out in one way or the other."

“So if a person from another country can help Indians in such times of crisis then it is a lesson in humanity for everybody.”

Baskov’s parents, who live in Moscow, are both doctors and his father – who also recovered from Covid-19 recently – is working with the ambulance service in the city.

The Moldovan has also donated blood to help people with thalassemia, an inherited condition in which the body makes an inadequate amount of haemoglobin.

Baskov and his team have helped pack and deliver more than 275,000 food packages and more than 700 ration kits containing about a month’s of supply. The fact that the Tennis star, who was once Wimbledon Champion Simona Halep’s sparring partner, took his time to stay back and help with this work shows the inspiring side of Baskov.

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