It's sad that I couldn't win a gold medal for India: Girisha

Girisha Hosanagara Nagarajegowda, who won India's first medal in Men's High Jump F42 event at the ongoing London Paralympics 2012, shares his experience with Bangalore Times.
This 24-year-old from Hassan, Karnataka, has indeed taken a long jump: from learning high jump techniques from his village peers to winning the silver in London at the ongoing Paralympic Games.Girisha, who has an impairment in his left leg, defeated Lukasz Mamczarz of Poland and made a perfect jump, losing gold only by a small margin. Girish shares with us his pride and sense of achievement.
How does it feel to have a medal, and that too the country's first in twenty-eight years?
I am happy about winning the medal for the country. It wasn't an easy deal. More than 82 people participated from all over the globe at the Paralympics. Moreover, the three winners in the high jump event won their respective positions with marginal differences in their performance scores. It's sad, however, that I couldn't win a gold medal for India.
Was there any pressure on you to win a medal?
There was no pressure, but hope was alive. The athletes from India wanted to get at least one medal for the country. I'm happy to have got that medal for India.
Do you think the training facilities in India for differently-abled people are satisfactory? What kind of support did you receive from the government?
I live in a small village near Hassan and come from a humble background. Though I was interested in getting into athletics, I didn't find a place where I could get formal training in the discipline. In fact, I trained myself in the village and ran for miles, and my peers in the village taught me whatever little they knew. I wanted to take part in the Beijing Paralympics, but did not qualify. The government didn't support us with facilities. But now things have changed. When I came to Bangalore looking for a job, I had the support of the Sports Authority of India (SAI) centre, and the government also chipped in with finances.
How did you prepare for the event?
My coach Sathyanarayana from SAI centre helped me perfect my techniques. We also had a 20-day special training camp in London, during which some Russian coaches gave us valuable tips. The weather was good in London. The overall experience was enriching.
What are your plans once you're back in India?
Now that India has a medal at the Paralympics, the government and officials should support para athletes. We performed at the same venue as the able bodied Olympians. I'm looking at starting a training academy in Karnataka. I hope the state government helps me in this endeavour.
'Girisha's technique is unique'
I am glad that Girisha has won the silver medal for the country. His technique is unique. Our goal was to teach and perfect his skills with the knowledge he had. He was the only athlete who took the high jump barefoot. His technique has been appreciated, and people from the International Paralympic Committee took a video of his jump. His hard work has finally paid off.
-- Sathyanaryana, coach
'Girisha was confident'
This is a proud moment for all of us. He came to Samarthanam to undergo training as a call centre executive, and later got placed in a bank. The bank sponsored him when he went to Kuwait for an international meet, where he won a gold medal. His commitment to sports made him quit his job. He has been very confident. In fact, he called me before he left to London and said he would come back with gold.
-- GK Mahantesh, Founder of NGO Samarthanam, which funded Girisha