“When my doctor suggested I play wheelchair tennis to overcome the back pains that I had, I was sceptical. All my life, I spent so much time learning to do things by myself without using crutches. I didn’t want to sit on a wheelchair for a sport! But I still went and watched players. I would spend weekends helping them, and they would ask me to try playing wheelchair tennis once. It took me a year to give in and start playing. I loved it! I had wonderful players around me – we would compete with each other and learn. I started to read about it on Google and found that there’s a lot of scope in para sports at an international level. I watched YouTube videos of Japanese players to learn new techniques. That’s the kind of interest we had, but facilities were always minimal.

I remember going to China for Asian Games and wondering why Indian para athletes didn’t have the kind of encouragement and support other players had. Also, most of us (para athletes) balance work and sports, which gets very difficult. If we have enough sponsors, it’ll help us dedicate more time and bring accolades to the country. Fortunately, we have people like Sunil Jain who are creating a platform for us with IWTT. This is my second time at Charminar Open and it feels like home every time I play in Hyderabad. With more and more tournaments and players opting for this, I hope we get attention from the sports authorities and corporates who can help us in so many ways.”

@Humans of Hyderabad in collaboration with @Indian WheelChair Tennis Tour supports development of Wheelchair Tennis in India. Use the following hashtags to know more on how you can help us.

#SameGameSamePassion #IWTT #ITF #CharminarOpen #AdaptedSportsIndia #WheelchairTennis #AsianGames #Tennis #Support #Disabilities #Believe #Motivation #MotivationalDiaries #AITA #CA #WorldTennis #Paralympics #Inspire #Empower #Educate #Hyderabad #HumansofHyderabad