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Recently, I received the prestigious Arjuna Award. It feels overwhelming to receive an accolade of such a stature. If anyone would have said this to a four-year-old kid who had damaged his left eye in an unfortunate accident, he would have brushed it off. But the miracle happened! Let me share how it happened.
I was born in Gurzala. My parents are farmers. Like their routine, they had left home at 4 am for farming. My brother was sleeping beside me. I was unable to sleep due to a power cut. I got down and tried to find a way out to reach my mom. Suddenly, I tripped over at the doorpost due to low visibility. And the door lock went inside my eye, leading to bleeding and swelling.
My parents took me to a hospital in Hyderabad. After surgery, the doctor concluded that I couldn’t get my vision back as everything was damaged inside. My life turned upside down in those crucial moments.
My parents tried to stay positive. They continued my studies in regular school. But, I couldn’t read the letters on the blackboard after reaching the sixth standard. Even after sitting in the front row. So, the teachers told me to stand beside them to see the blackboard. But, my classmates complained as I blocked their view of the board.
Then, my parents took me to consult a doctor. He said that I was struggling with a retina issue and advised me to drop my regular school. Because it would lead to the total loss of my vision. My parents left farming and shifted to Narasaraopet to enrol me in a blind school. They didn’t want to compromise with my education.
The blind school wasn’t easy. Growing up, I dreamt of joining the Indian Army. But due to the unfortunate accident, my dreams were shattered. And there were a lot of things I couldn’t do that kids my age could do. I became depressed. Didn’t talk to my parents. Made no friends in school. Stayed in isolation, crying and cursing about my grim situation. Thought about suicide too.
Then, one day, something happened that changed my life.
I heard a ball’s sound, and it felt like soothing music to my ears. I asked about it with my classmate sitting beside me, and he told me about cricket for the blinds. That year, India had lost against Pakistan in the World Cup Final. I felt sad and vowed to play for India and win the finals for my country.
Immediately, I went to the seniors and requested to play with them. They refused, giving several excuses. But, I was determined. So, kept coming back to them every day and observed them play. One fine day, they finally allowed me to play. I batted and batted like a professional cricketer. Initially, they were soft on me. But as they saw me playing comfortably, they brought their experienced bowlers. Still, I had no difficulty. Noticing my game, they agreed to take me into their team. And then, as they say - The Rest Is History.
You know, a lot has changed in terms of how we look after sports in our country. But, for blind sports, we still have a long way to go, even after winning 5 World Cups for India! In the name of ‘Blind Cricket’, we face a lot of inequalities. To sum up, we don’t want sympathy. While playing for your nation, sympathy should never be on the minds of any sportsperson. All I want is the equal respect a sportsperson deserves! That’s enough!
Getting the Arjuna Awards as a blind cricketer is one of the most unforgettable moments of my life. And honestly, while I was walking to take the award, I felt, ‘This is not for me! This is for Cricket for the Blind! This is for my parents! And, this is for everyone who represents Blind cricketers!
We’re glad to partner with Cricket Association for the Blind in India (CABI) and share stories "From Darkness to Glory"
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