I would say torture rather than training. A 5 year old child made to live in a boarding school just to satisfy the dreams of his or her parents. Seems so cruel to me.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnxR1lLrkPg]
Didn’t think I’d find a situation worse than an 8 year old injected with botox. It’s all so disturbing.
This is fascinating and so sad at the same time.
I watched the entire documentary a year or 2 back when it was first aired. It is indeed disturbing. Unfortunately, the families are so poor, their only hope of getting out of the poverty trap is to make their children succeed. In a way, I can sympathize with this mentality. What I can’t understand is, out of the hundreds and thousands of children that are put through the gymnastics training, only a few end up as gymnastic Olympians. The odds are so low that I just don’t understand why any parent would take this gamble unless their kid truly loved the sport? The kids are also made to believe that it’s DO THIS or live in poverty forever. Surely there are other alternatives in life, and surely there is more to this in life? Then again, I say this because I am exposed to education and options. These people feel they have no other choice, rightly or wrongly.
Gymnastics is my most favourite sport, but unfortunately it seems to be one that requires the longest and most rigorous type of training, starting at a young age. Imagine javelin or short putt, one could possibly even take up these type of sports starting only in their teens or later. The “investment” is much less!
I just feel that I was so lucky to have the childhood that I had instead of what these poor mites have to endure.
I agree. Yes, you and me are counting our blessings having a safe and okay childhood but those poor kids
and these kids are indoctrined to think that all this is ok….i fear for the next generation….it’s like a vicious cycle.