India’s First Leg-Amputee With Bachelor’s in Sports: My Journey
Injuries are a part of sports and getting blisters on my amputee leg was very common, but that never stopped me.
Video Producer: Saradha Natarajan
Video Editor: Purnendu Pritam
It was 2 April 2011. The Indian cricket team lifted the ICC World Cup trophy and made the entire country proud. It was a memorable day for everyone but me, as on the very same day, while on a train on my way back home from Raipur, I met with an accident and it cost me my right leg.
The accident depressed and shattered me. I had no idea what I was going to do. I even had doubts if I would ever be able to walk again. Fortunately, my friends and family motivated and guided me. They told me that I need to shine with my abilities and not look at my disability. This helped me build a career as a para-athlete.
Once I started walking again using a prosthetic leg, I wanted to run, but not stop there. I wanted to sprint. I was always interested in sports and decided that an amputee leg won’t stop me. My goal was the Paralympics.
Coming from a middle-class family, I did not have the funds to buy a blade-prosthetic which is essential for professional para athletes. It costs up to Rs 5 lakh. The Dakshin Rehab Prosthetic company in Hyderabad was kind enough to help me and I got my blade prosthetics in 2013. I immediately started my professional training at the Gachibowli Stadium in the same city. I used to train for four hours a day – two hours in the morning and two hours in the evening.
The best part of the training was to see other athletes put on their shoes while I put on my blade prosthetic as we trained together.
After a year of training, I got selected for my first international tour to Tunisia for the IPC Athletics Grand Prix in 2014. I won two medals in the game, a silver and bronze in 100m and 200m respectively. I missed the gold medal by 0.25 seconds.
In October 2014, I got selected for the Asian Para Games and became an international Para Athlete. I participated in 100 m race, long jump and 4x100m relay.
How I Got My Bachelor’s Degree
After becoming a para athlete, I wanted to pursue sports education. In 2015, I joined a one-year sports management course in South Korea where I learned about Sports Management, Sports Physiology and Sports Psychology along with various other subjects related to sports. Then in 2016, I joined a two-week sports management seminar in Kagoshima, Japan.
I then decided to get a bachelor’s degree in sports and came back to India. I started to apply in multiple colleges to pursue my bachelor’s degree but many universities’ prospects stated that a physically challenged student cannot pursue degree in sports. It came as a shock to me because what does being physically challenged has to do with studying sports?
I decided that I need to break this barrier and finish my education.
In 2017, Manipal Univeristy in Jaipur offered me a seat and I enrolled myself in a three-year programme. In November 2020, I graduated with a bachelor’s degree.
Currently, I am enrolled in South Korea's number one university ie Seoul National University to complete my masters in Global Sports Management commencing March 2021.
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