At a time when sports in India is largely about cricket or football, there are a few unsung heroes who have made heads turn through their amazing achievements in sports despite being differently abled. These iconic women are flexing their strength off the field to also address serious issues in society.
It all started when 30-year-old para badminton player Manasi Joshi created history by clinching gold at the BWF Para-Badminton World Championships in August last year. Manasi, who had met with an accident in 2011, defied all odds and despite an artificial leg, chased her dream.
Similar is the case with para badminton player Parul Parmar. Parmar, who came from a family that was into badminton, was afflicted by Poliomyelitis at young age. “For others it was a defect, however for me, it was due to the polio that the doctors suggested I do exercises.
My mother sent me to practice badminton along with my father and that’s how I started to play,” says the 2009 Arjuna Awardee. She shares, “Whenever I find myself in a difficult situation, I remind myself of all the people rooting for me which helps me motivate myself to keep going and find solutions to every problem that I face.”
International Women's Day 2020 |
Similarly, one cannot neglect the rise of Palak Kohli on the Indian para badminton scene. The 17-year-old, who does not have a fully developed left arm since birth, has bagged three gold medals in her first national para games.
A chance meeting with a stranger who suggested para badminton was the turning point – he turned out to be Gaurav Khanna, an international umpire and referee, who selflessly dedicates his life to training para-players. After overcoming the initial reluctance and fears of her parents, Palak was unstoppable.
Talking about the mental preparations prior to the tournament, Parmar reveals that she owes it to positive thinking and a mindset which makes her believe that however tough the situation, one can turn it around to benefit oneself. Young Palak also credits the skills of coach Khanna who helped her overcome the butterflies in the stomach ahead of any game.
Manasi Joshi |
International para-table tennis player Suvarna Raj credits her power and determination to the collective support of her parents and her husband. Interestingly, her husband Pradeep also is a person with disability. Her message to the people is, “Stay positive, work hard, and overcome each challenge of life.”
As each of them speaks about their personal best achievements – from gold at the BWF Para-Badminton World Championships, to a series of medals at various competition – they are aware that they are hungry for more achievements with the sole aim of making their nation proud.
All these athletes are part of Welspun Super Sport Women Program (WSSP), an initiative designed to support female athletes across different life stages – grassroots, national and international levels. From November 2019, the programme has undertaken the support of 26 athletes from 13 different sports.
As all of them are training hard for the upcoming Tokyo Paralympics 2020, Palak, Suvarna and Parul have one message for women aiming to make a career in sports, “You just need to have the courage and put your best foot forward. Things will definitely fall into place for you.”
