Fans of Milkha Singh, Neeraj Chopra, Lakshya Sen, Harmanpreet Kaur — students of Institute for Blind look at great sporting future

Among the winning athletes was 19-year-old Prahlad Batra. The youngster, who won the gold in 4X100m relay, 400m and shot put event, was quick to call his rickshaw puller father Surinder Batra in Ambala. “While my mother Suman Batra is also visually impaired, my parents always encouraged me to study as well as compete in athletics. My elder brother Rajat Batra too studied from the institute. Making a fine balance between studies and sports is my foremost aim. I had won the bronze in 4X100m and 4X400m relay in 22nd National Athletic Championship for the Blind in New Delhi in 2022. My next target is to win a medal in the nationals in Bengaluru,” said Prahlad, who competes in partially visually impaired category, and had scored 81 per cent in tenth standard, while talking with The Indian Express.

Abhishek, who was orphaned at a young age, with his medals. (Express Photo by Jasbir Malhi)

Twenty-year-old visually impaired Kashish Yadav had emerged as Chandigarh’s best athlete with five medals, including 4X400m relay gold and 800m and 4X100m silver apart from two bronze medals in the New Delhi nationals in 2022, won the 4X100m silver apart from 200m gold in the meet. Apart from sports, the youngster wants to excel in studies too with UPSC being one of her targets.

“My father Om Prakash always told me stories about players and I am inspired by players like Neeraj Chopra sir and Lakshya Sen sir. Winning five medals in the 2022 nationals motivated me a lot and my target is also to clear UPSC one day. Competing in athletics keeps me motivated and these medals are my biggest treasure,” said Kashish, who had scored 89.6 per cent in tenth standard and is currently in 12th standard.

Like Kashish, 18-year-old partially visually impaired Tanisha too had won four medals in the 2022 nationals and the Mohali resident, whose father Anil Kumar is a postman in Chandigarh, won the gold in shot put and silver in 200m race in the meet. “I have been staying in the institute’s hostel for the last nine years and like my team-mates, I too idolise Neeraj Chopra sir apart from Paris Paralympics medallist Simran Sharma,” said the tenth standard student.

Kashish with the event torch. (Express Photo by Jasbir Malhi)

Her team-mate 14-year-old partially visually impaired Khushi Devi hails from Nayagaon and the youngster used to play cricket earlier. She won the 4X100m relay gold apart from 200m gold and long jump gold in her category. “While I play cricket sometimes nowadays, meeting Indian women’s cricket team captain Harmanpreet Kaur earlier this year at the institute inspired me a lot,” said Khushi.

Twenty-two-year-old visually impaired Abhishek Kumar hails from Dagla village in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh. The 12th standard student had lost both his parents Rashpal Singh and Kamlesh Kumari at a young age. Raised by his grandmother Kaushalya Devi apart from an uncle and aunt, Abhishek had won three bronze medals — 800m, 4X100m relay and 4x400m relay — in 2022 nationals. “I was too young when I lost both my parents. But my grandmother Kaushalya Devi along with my uncle Sudarshan Singh always encouraged me to study and sent me here to study. I had scored 90 per cent in tenth exams and the medals in the 2022 nationals motivated me a lot. I am inspired by Milkha Singh sir,” said Abhishek, who won two medals in the meet.

Prahlad Kumar, who led father is a rickshaw puller, with his medals. (Express Photo by Jasbir Malhi)

Partially visually impaired Kartik, whose father Sonu is a street hawker in Sector 22, had won two medals in 2022 nationals. The youngster too is inspired by Milkha Singh. “While we did not meet Milkha Singh sir, we kept reading about him. He has been an inspiration for the whole nation,” said the XI standard student.

Sixteen-year-old Manpreet and 14-year-old Lavkush Kumar too were among the medallists and the Bihar natives too shared their joy after winning the medals along with Khuda Lahora native 19-year-old Vinod Kumar. Lavkush had emerged as the fastest athlete of the meet when he won the gold in 100m race on Tuesday. “I had edged out Manpreet on the first day in the 100m race while he edged me out today in the 200m race. We both see each other as inspiration,” said Lavkush.

Coach Rakesh Sharma has been a teacher in the institute for the last 15 years and has been training the athletes for the last two years. “Each one of them is an inspiration for all of us. They train daily for two hours in the morning before attending school. All equipment is provided by the Institute for the Blind and our chairman Dinesh Kumar Kapila has extended all the help to these young stars,” said Rakesh.