NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Kaveri Poem 5 – Nine Gold Medals

Athletes have travelled from all over the country, their weeks and months of training now coming down to these games and their dreams of gold, silver and bronze. Spectators ring the old field, cheering the young men and women as the day’s final event — the hundred-yard dash — approaches. Nine resolved athletes wait at the starting line, poised for the gun.

The pistol explodes and the runners explode with it, charging ahead — but the smallest among them stumbles, staggers and falls to the asphalt. His cry of frustration and anguish says everything: his dreams and efforts lie dashed in the dirt. And then, the poet swears as an eyewitness, something extraordinary happened.

The eight other runners stop in their tracks. One by one, the very athletes who trained so long to compete turn around, go back, and raise the young boy to his feet. Then all nine join hands and finish the hundred-yard dash — now a walk — together, beneath a banner reading “Special Olympics” that could not have been more fitting. The race ends with nine gold medals, nine beaming faces still holding hands at the finish line, and a standing ovation that says more than words ever could.

The Olympics are the world’s premier games for elite able-bodied athletes, held every four years. The Paralympics are for athletes with physical, locomotor, visual or similar disabilities, and are held in the same city shortly after the Olympics. The Special Olympics provide year-round sports training and competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, with the emphasis on participation, acceptance and inclusion rather than only on winning.

Sentence 1 (“I am so sorry for what is happening to you… do you want something to eat?”) — sympathy.
Sentence 2 (“I can imagine how you feel. I understand that you are upset and why.”) — empathy.
Sentence 3 (“I understand why you feel terribly low. I will spend some time with you…”) — compassion (understanding plus action to help).

Understanding, kindness, listening, care, sharing feelings, support, sensitivity, putting yourself in another’s shoes, comfort, togetherness.

1. dashed in the dirt — (ii) destroyed  |  2. stumbled — (iv) step awkwardly, lose balance and almost fall  |  3. staggered — (i) walk or move with difficulty  |  4. anguish — (v) extreme pain or suffering  |  5. asphalt — (iii) a hard black substance used to make roads and paths

1. Two examples of alliteration: (i) “stumbled and staggered” (repetition of ‘st’) and (ii) “dreams… dashed in the dirt” (repetition of ‘d’).

2. Three examples of visual imagery: (i) the spectators gathered around the old field; (ii) the runners charging ahead as the smallest stumbles and falls to the asphalt; (iii) the nine athletes crossing the finish line holding hands, faces beaming.

3. An example of auditory imagery: “the pistol exploded” (also the boy’s cry of frustration and anguish).

4. How does the use of imagery make the poem more appealing?
The imagery turns the poem into a live telecast: we see the crowded field and the fall, hear the gun and the cry, and watch nine joined hands cross the line. Because we witness the scene rather than being told about it, the emotional turn from heartbreak to joy strikes us with full force.

5. How does the poet’s tone change from the beginning to the end?
It begins excited and expectant as the race builds up, plunges into shock and anguish when the smallest runner falls, and then rises into warmth, admiration and quiet triumph as the eight turn back and all nine finish together.

6. What is the overall mood created by the poem?
Inspiring and heart-warming — the reader is left moved, uplifted and full of faith in human goodness.

7. What is the message being conveyed by the poem?
That compassion is greater than competition. True sportsmanship — and true humanity — lies in helping the fallen, even at the cost of one’s own victory; when we lift others, everyone wins gold.

(i) The phrase ‘pulled up on their heels’ means that the runners ______.
B. stopped running

(ii) Mention one character trait common to all the eight other runners.
Compassion (empathy) — they valued a fellow runner’s dignity above their own victory.

(iii) What is the tone of the poet in these lines?
Admiring and appreciative — he narrates the runners’ selfless act with wonder and warmth.

(iv) How might the young athlete have felt on being helped by the others?
His anguish must have melted into amazement and gratitude. Lifted by the very rivals he expected to race past him, he would have felt valued, included and loved — his shattered moment turned into the proudest of his life.

(v) Would you consider this incident as a turning point in the poem?
Yes. Until this stanza the poem is an ordinary race story of training, ambition and mischance; from the moment the eight turn back, it becomes a story about humanity. The competition dissolves into companionship, and the poem’s real theme — empathy above ambition — takes over.

(i) How did the nine contestants feel when they reached the finishing line together?
They felt joyful, proud and content — their “beaming faces” showed a happiness deeper than any single victory could give.

(ii) Why do you think all the nine contestants were given gold medals?
Because all nine had displayed the truest spirit of the Special Olympics — kindness, unity and dignity. By finishing together they were all equally winners, and the organisers honoured the triumph of character over mere speed.

(iii) The holding of hands signifies a feeling of ______.
…unity, solidarity, equality and shared joy.

(iv) The spectators giving a ‘standing ovation’ indicates that they were ______.
A. amazed

(v) Explain the last line of the extract.
The poet admits that language has limits: the sight of the audience on its feet and nine radiant faces at the finish line expressed the beauty of that moment more completely than any words — including the poem’s own — ever could. Some truths are felt, not told.

1. Describe how the setting established in the first two stanzas creates a vivid atmosphere for the events that follow.
The opening stanzas assemble all the ingredients of high drama: athletes drawn from all over the country, months of training compressed into one day, dreams of gold, silver and bronze, and spectators ringing the old field, their excitement peaking as the final event approaches. This charged, festive atmosphere makes the sudden fall more heartbreaking — and the act of kindness that follows more luminous.

2. How do you think the youngest athlete might have felt when he fell?
Devastated. In one second, months of training and dreaming lay dashed in the dirt; his cry of frustration and anguish tells us he felt pain, humiliation and the despair of watching the race — and his hopes — speed away without him.

3. Why were the athletes eager to begin the race?
They had trained for many weeks and months for this moment; it was the final event of the day, the crowd was cheering, and each was resolved to win the gold, silver or bronze that their efforts had pointed towards.

4. What does the transformation of the hundred-yard dash to a walk symbolise?
It symbolises the victory of fellowship over rivalry. Speed — the very essence of a dash — is willingly surrendered so that no one is left behind; competition becomes companionship. The walk declares that reaching the goal together matters more than reaching it first.

5. How might the poem be different if the focus was solely on individual achievement rather than collective support?
It would end with one winner and eight also-rans, with the fallen boy left weeping on the asphalt — an ordinary sports report instead of a parable. The warmth, the nine medals, the standing ovation and the poem’s entire message of empathy would vanish; we would remember a result, not an act of grace.

6. How does the poet’s use of language and tone enhance the reader’s engagement with the poem?
Roth writes like a storyteller at the trackside: simple, vivid verbs (charging, stumbled, staggered), sound effects (the exploding pistol), and a personal oath — “as sure as I’m standing here” — that makes us trust the tale. The tone rises and falls with the action, so the reader’s heart races, sinks and soars along with the runners.

7. What might be the poet’s purpose of writing this poem?
To immortalise a real moment of grace from the Special Olympics and, through it, to redefine victory for his audience: to show that empathy, inclusion and shared dignity are worth more than medals — and to inspire listeners to choose kindness in their own races.

“final event” and “beaming faces” (also acceptable: “young women”, “starting line”).

1. littlest — youngest  2. smiling — positive  3. huge — loud  4. terrible — significant  5. gaudy — noisy

1. Patrick Gomes began his career in sports with track events. — True (he began with track events in 1991 in Chennai).
2. Patrick Gomes has been coaching special athletes for 10 years. — False (for over 15 years).
3. Patrick Gomes does all the household work himself. — True (he lives by himself and does all the daily chores).

1. ‘Push your boundaries’ means listeners should — (i) challenge themselves.
2. Patrick Gomes is at present — (ii) a coach of special athletes.
3. The Special Olympic Games at Connecticut was a — (ii) turning point for him.
4. As a special athlete, he mostly participated in — (iii) football.
5. Sports is essential because it encourages — (i) a positive outlook along with fitness (and discipline).

A: What is your opinion on the Special Olympics?
B: Personally, I believe that they are among the most important sporting events in the world, because they promote inclusion — they give athletes with intellectual disabilities a stage to train, compete and be celebrated. How do you feel about their impact on the athletes themselves?
A: I hold the opinion that the impact is life-changing: athletes gain confidence, fitness, friendships and dignity — like Patrick Gomes, whose whole life changed after his first Games. In your view, how can we create more awareness?
B: From my perspective, schools should screen events like the Special Olympics, invite para and special athletes as guests, and run inclusive sports days — when we play together, acceptance follows naturally.

1. “Every Heart a Champion, Every Step a Victory!”  2. “Hold a Hand, Win Together — That’s Real Gold!”  3. “Different Abilities, One Spirit, Nine Gold Medals!”

Poster plan: Centre — nine stick-figure athletes holding hands before a finish-line ribbon, a gold medal sun rising behind them; top — your slogan in bold rainbow letters; bottom — “Special Olympics: come, cheer, include!” with date and venue of a school screening; corners — small icons of football, athletics and swimming; bright colours, and the call to action: “Be the reason someone finishes the race.”

From the textbook (Berlin 2023): Ravimathi Arumugam won gold in the 400 m Level C women’s race; Aanchal Goyal won gold in the 400 m Level B women’s race; and Saket Kundu achieved a rare double — silver in Level B mini javelin and bronze in the Level B 400 m men’s race. For your project, research other Indian Special Olympics stars (for example, powerlifters, swimmers and roller-skaters who won medals at Berlin 2023, and Special Olympics Bharat’s programmes).

Remember from the infographic: the first Olympics took place in 776 BC in ancient Greece (honouring Zeus); the motto is ‘Citius–Altius–Fortius–Communiter’ (Faster–Higher–Stronger–Together); the torch is lit at Olympia and symbolises peace and friendship; the five rings (1913) represent the union of five continents; the Paralympic symbol is the Agitos (Latin: “I move”); and the Special Olympics serve athletes with intellectual disabilities. For your own infographic, pick a sport (e.g., kabaddi), and present 5–6 boxes: origin, rules in brief, field/court diagram, famous players, major tournaments and one fun fact — with icons and minimal text.

Q1. Why is the banner mentioned in stanza 7 said to be ‘on the mark’? (30–40 words)
The banner read “Special Olympics”, and nothing could have described the moment better: nine athletes walking hand in hand embodied exactly what the Special Olympics stand for — inclusion, acceptance and the triumph of spirit over competition.

Q2. What had the athletes sacrificed by turning back, and why is it significant? (30–40 words)
They sacrificed their chance of winning the race they had trained months for. The sacrifice is significant because it was instant and unanimous — proof that their compassion ran deeper than their ambition.

Q3. Which line shows that the poet presents himself as an eyewitness? (30–40 words)
The poet vouches for the story “as sure as I’m standing here telling this story” — a storyteller’s oath that the incredible turn of events that followed the fall actually happened.

Q4. “Nine Gold Medals redefines the meaning of victory.” Discuss. (100–120 words)
Ordinarily a race defines victory as one person crossing the line first; the poem dismantles that definition stanza by stanza. The expected hero is the fastest runner — but the real heroes turn out to be eight athletes who stop running. Their decision converts the dash into a walk, rivals into companions, and one possible gold into nine certain ones. The judges ratify what the heart already knows: that kindness of this order outranks speed. The standing ovation completes the redefinition — the crowd rises not for a record but for humanity. The poem leaves us with a new podium, where empathy takes gold, inclusion silver and ambition a distant bronze.