B-Girl India relishing the thought of Paris 2024: “Of course I want to win"
“I already know it’s going to be a big party when I win,” India Sardjoe grins as she talks to the camera about the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
“Not if I win, when,” the teenager clarifies before laughing. “A bit of arrogance is good sometimes!”
The Dutch dancer, better known by her breaking moniker B-Girl India, is one of the stars of Olympic Channel’s new original series ‘Athletes to Watch’ streaming live for free on Olympics.com, and there is plenty of supporting evidence to suggest the 17-year-old will be one to follow as the sport makes its debut.
Two years ago, on a breezy autumnal day in Manchester, England, B-Girl India shot to fame after clinching the continental title. The victory prompted a string of successes including a world title and a second continental crowd awarding her a quota for the upcoming Olympic Games.
That she says, fittingly without missing a beat, is her next big goal:
“I won the Dutch Championship; the European Championship and the World Championships. So, the only higher thing there is, is the Olympics.”
B-Girl India: Drive, willpower and style
Born and raised in The Hague, Netherlands, B-Girl India first discovered breaking through dance classes.
“Her first time breakdancing was a long time ago,” her mother Natascha Sardjoe reveals in the documentary. “I took India and all the other kids to breakdancing class. From the first moment, she was like: ‘Yes, this is what I enjoy doing'.
“Also, at home, she was always breakdancing and moving. It’s been like that since she was little.”
Her potential was immediately obvious to those around her including her Haags Hip Hop Centrum coach B-Boy Diogo who first met her at nine years old.
“She actually came into one of my classes. And I remember it very well because I taught her the elbow freeze that day.
“The first thing was the drive and the willpower, and just never quitting,” Diogo says recalling how Sardjoe, after learning a move, proceeded to practise it for over an hour straight. That determination married with her “stylish” finesse is what he believes has propelled her to the top so quickly.
“Eveyrthing she does has this own image of India within,” he continues. “At some point, I was also like: ‘It’s just a matter of time before she’s going to take over the whole scene."
The B-Girl’s talent, so clear to those around her, soon translated into results such that she was a known entity on the Dutch scene by the age of 10, winning the Under-12 Dutch Championship.
It was a sign of what was to come and of the gritty, winning drive that instilled itself into the B-Girl.
B-Girl India: "Of course I want to win"
With a rich history of breaking, B-Girl India will be the pride of the Netherlands and the country's unique scene when the sport takes centre stage in Paris.
The discipline's enchanting combination of athletic skill and artistic flair is expected to capture the world’s attention, and Sardjoe knows how much of a privilege it is to be among the group sharing it with a new audience.
“It is already history if you’re standing there because it’s the first time breaking is at the Olympics,” she says considering the impact. “It is such a highlight in the breaking world."
But India, who has enjoyed such a roaring breakthrough, isn't satisfied with just participating. With her string of successes in tow, she knows she has the possibility to do something special.
“Of course I want to win, right?” Sardjoe says. “It’s already really great that I’m taking part but I always want to set the bar high.
“I have come this far because I do things the way I’ve always done them," she continues, outlining what she wants to achieve and just how she plans on doing it.
"To put it simply: Perseverance, training hard, doing the same thing.”