When 16-year-old Manan Ved, a resident of Kandivli, scored a 100 per cent this year in SSC exams, he was taken aback. The jubilation sunk in a while later.
The Oxford Public School student thanks his sport of choice at school, tug-of-war, which brought him to score a 550 on 550, in the grand total.
Ved, who has actually scored 96 per cent, as per the Best of Five Subjects rule, managed to go the whole hog because of tug-of-war, his preferred sports activity in school. It furnished him with an extra 22 marks and bingo! He had hit the century (see box).
"I never imagined I will score 100 per cent in my SSC exams. There is no limit to my happiness," Ved said.
Not your average geek, Ved said most of his time was spent in front of the TV or computer, or at the football field.
"I did not have a particular schedule, or any timetable. I used to study for an hour dedicatedly. The rest of my time used to go in playing football, watching TV and surfing the Internet," Ved said.
But he did have an Achilles heel, which he was smart enough to tend to. "I stressed more on Marathi as I was weak in that and it has paid off."
The happy-go-lucky Ved did not get cracking with the syllabus until December.
"I got serious in my studies only at the end of December, when I started giving at least six hours to my studies every day," he said, and then added, incredulous again, "I never even dreamed of it." But reality served him a better deal than dreams.
"I used to concentrate what my teachers taught back at school and never joined any tuitions. If I faced any difficulty, I preferred the guidance from my friends and schoolteachers," said Ved, adding that he reciprocated the help he received. "If anyone asked me for help with studies, I never said no."
Repudiating a bunch of cliches healthy competition, supremacy of science stream but not all he wants to be a CA and MBA, Ved said, "I don't believe in any competition. I feel I can only compete with myself.
I thought I would opt for science, but later dropped the idea and decided to go for commerce. I want to become a charted accountant and pursue a master's in business administration."
About the game that won him all the marks that could possibly be won, he said, "I have played tug-of-war at state level. My sports teacher selected me for it. My team has won district level finals in the sport." However, the football frenzy has got to the youngster.
"I have developed a liking for football and chess as well."
Ved's father, Gopal, a retired bank manager, said, "We are very happy and proud of our son. In the last two years, he has always come second in rank. He took his studies lightly. But in standard X, he managed to top the SSC.
He added, "No one from our family has been a deft hand at sports. We wonder how Ved developed such a passion for sports which helped him today in the results."
Ved's report card
English: 81/100
Sanskrit: 99/100
Marathi: 89/100
Mathematics: 148/150
Science and Technology: 95/100
Social Science: 97/100
Total: 528 (as per the Best of Five rule) + Sports: 22
Grand total: 550/550
The Oxford Public School student thanks his sport of choice at school, tug-of-war, which brought him to score a 550 on 550, in the grand total.
Ved, who has actually scored 96 per cent, as per the Best of Five Subjects rule, managed to go the whole hog because of tug-of-war, his preferred sports activity in school. It furnished him with an extra 22 marks and bingo! He had hit the century (see box).
"I never imagined I will score 100 per cent in my SSC exams. There is no limit to my happiness," Ved said.
Not your average geek, Ved said most of his time was spent in front of the TV or computer, or at the football field.
"I did not have a particular schedule, or any timetable. I used to study for an hour dedicatedly. The rest of my time used to go in playing football, watching TV and surfing the Internet," Ved said.
But he did have an Achilles heel, which he was smart enough to tend to. "I stressed more on Marathi as I was weak in that and it has paid off."
The happy-go-lucky Ved did not get cracking with the syllabus until December.
"I got serious in my studies only at the end of December, when I started giving at least six hours to my studies every day," he said, and then added, incredulous again, "I never even dreamed of it." But reality served him a better deal than dreams.
"I used to concentrate what my teachers taught back at school and never joined any tuitions. If I faced any difficulty, I preferred the guidance from my friends and schoolteachers," said Ved, adding that he reciprocated the help he received. "If anyone asked me for help with studies, I never said no."
Repudiating a bunch of cliches healthy competition, supremacy of science stream but not all he wants to be a CA and MBA, Ved said, "I don't believe in any competition. I feel I can only compete with myself.
I thought I would opt for science, but later dropped the idea and decided to go for commerce. I want to become a charted accountant and pursue a master's in business administration."
About the game that won him all the marks that could possibly be won, he said, "I have played tug-of-war at state level. My sports teacher selected me for it. My team has won district level finals in the sport." However, the football frenzy has got to the youngster.
"I have developed a liking for football and chess as well."
Ved's father, Gopal, a retired bank manager, said, "We are very happy and proud of our son. In the last two years, he has always come second in rank. He took his studies lightly. But in standard X, he managed to top the SSC.
He added, "No one from our family has been a deft hand at sports. We wonder how Ved developed such a passion for sports which helped him today in the results."
Ved's report card
English: 81/100
Sanskrit: 99/100
Marathi: 89/100
Mathematics: 148/150
Science and Technology: 95/100
Social Science: 97/100
Total: 528 (as per the Best of Five rule) + Sports: 22
Grand total: 550/550
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