Bengaluru, Oct 25 : India’s legendary batsman and motivational speaker Sunil Gavaskar said children fear to speak out in public and Covid pandemic has made the situation even worse as there is lack of in-person communication.
“Building confidence and command over language are the most important things to be able to communicate effectively and engage with a larger audience. And this skill needs to be taught at every school, to every child right from a young age,” he said.
He was speaking at the third MasterClass on public speaking organised by LEAD, India’s foremost player in the SchoolEdTech space.
The session was conducted for 8 lakh plus students across LEAD’s 2000 plus partner schools pan India.
Gavaskar also shared the journey of his 30 years of being a TV commentator and shared anecdotes on how he developed confidence right from a young age to communicate effectively with a larger audience.

Students were thrilled with the presence of cricket’s greatest opening batsmen and widely respected television commentator, as he discussed the importance of Public speaking as a life skill and how it paves the way to become an effective communicator.
Gavaskar also shared his views on the role of school education in honing the public speaking skills of children, helps them overcome the fear of talking on a large platform.
The Little Master went on to share some thoughts on the correlation between body language and public speaking while engaging the audience with some exercises to improve speaking skills.
The MasterClass series by LEAD is India’s first initiative to provide holistic learning to school children and an opportunity of learning from world renowned experts, something that was never available for children from smaller towns & cities.
The first MasterClass on creative writing was held with eminent author Chetan Bhagat while the second one was with Tennis ace Sania Mirza where she engaged with students on Fitness and Yoga.
LEAD Cofounder and CEO Sumeet Mehta said the initiative aims to supplement what is being taught by teachers in the local schools.
“I am sure that these power packed Masterclasses by Chetan Bhagat, Sania Mirza and Sunil Gavaskar will help our students in their all-round development,” he said.
Gyanaya School Director Apoorva Aharwal said she will continue the Public Speaking sessions by taking three more classes for students.
The upcoming sessions of the MasterClass series will focus on skilling students in Mental Maths, Personality Development, and Preparation for D Day including exams, important days in the life with experts such as Captain Raghu Raman, Ranjit Disale and Saina Nehwal respectively.(UNI)