Disabled athletes cross new barriers

AHMEDABAD: Arjuna awardee Parul Parmar and Delhi Commonwealth Games finalist Kiran Tak became the first Indian female athletes to earn NIS diplomas in badminton and swimming respectively.
Gujarat's Parul, a former world No. 1 in badminton for the challenged, and Rajasthan's Kiran, who has been an international swimmer since 2005, were of the opinion that a disabled athlete could understand the hurdles for the physically challenged."I wanted to do it in 2008 too but I was told that there are no training programmes for disabled athletes. But I was determined and I applied again in 2010. This time they accepted my application," said Kiran.
"Except running, we were as good as the other able athletes. I now want to guide other athletes to move ahead in life," added Parul.
Badminton instructor at the NIS centre in Bangalore PN Sinha said: "Not many disabled athletes apply for NIS diploma. Only one boy did his diploma from here few years back. But these two girls have showed that nothing is impossible."
Parul's right leg was disabled due to polio when she was just three years old, and she fractured the same leg two years later. Her father, Dalsukh Parmar, who was a state-level shuttler, took Parul to the badminton court everyday, and that was the first step to her rehabilitation.
Despite the handicap, Parul became the U-10, U-16 and U-19 Gujarat champion among able sportspersons at a stretch for 12 years.
"It was only after 2002 that I started playing in the disabled category in certain domestic and international events as I was not allowed to compete with able athletes in senior level competitions," the shutter, who is employed with the postal department in Ahmedabad, said.
Kiran, despite being crippled, has been swimming since she was a child. "Mom says that I was suffering from very high fever and the doctor gave me an injection. My fever was OK but I lost one leg," said the 26-year-old daughter of a Jodhpur gardener.
But unlike Parul, whose achievements have been recognized by the state government, Kiran is still knocking on various doors for a job.
"The Rajasthan government doesn't have any sports quota for disabled athletes so I have not got a job so far. But I plan to go to Jaipur again, meet people at the sports ministry and request them to change their policy for people like us," added Kiran.