Rinku calls himself an all-round sportsman who was concentrating on athletics at the Lucknow Sports Hostel. “I met Suresh Raina and RP Singh there and they asked me to take up bowling. But since I could never quite straighten my arm I took to hurling the javelin,” says the boy who just a few months ago came to know that a powerful throw with a bent arm can be a big asset in this alien sport called baseball.

Ken Huth, the baseball coach linked with the event, speaks highly of Rinku the pitcher. “He showed a great determination in learning, otherwise it is very hard for a javelin thrower to be able to throw at such a speed,” says the 48-year-old. “I just advised him to bend his knee while he was standing in an upright position. He picked it up quite fast,” said Huth.

On the eve of the event’s finals, Rinku knew that he had a chance to win. “I had a sleepless night since I was wondering how to celebrate in case I win,” he said. But when the moment came, Rinku was stunned. He didn’t have an answer to the question the organisers posed: “In which bank do we transfer the $100,000 cheque?”