NAGPUR, NOVEMBER 8: ``India has a long way to go before the physically handicapped athletes earn respect in our society,'' moans the Indian flag-bearer at the recently concluded Sydney Paralympic Games, Vijay Munishwar.Vijay has a point to prove. Teased and tortured by the unsympathetic acquaintances early in his childhood due to his ailment (polio in left leg), Vijay found it very difficult to cope up with the world around. After his father's death, his mother inspired him to fight his own battle, sorts of difficulties notwithstanding.``I decided I had to fight my own battles. I took up boxing and wrestling and was selected at the district level games. But the authorities rejected me on grounds of my disability.''``It hurt me deeply. And that was the turning point in my life. I participated in arm wrestling for the able-bodied. I won a silver at the World championships,'' Vijay explained about his encounter for recognition.Since then, there has been no looking back for the Nagpur athlete. He went on to participate in shot-put, discuss throw, arm wrestling and bench press power lifting at 11 National competitions and won 41 gold medals. In international games, Vijay has three golds, silver and bronze each to his credit.At Sydney Paralympics, before which he was seriously contemplating to quit the game because of social and official neglect, he stood 14th in bench press powerlifting (160kg and 165kg) and where athletes have to lie down in supine position and lift the weight on the chest.``In my group, there are wheelchair-disabled as well which puts them on an advantage as they have more weight in the upper body than the lower, whereas we have balanced bodies. In Barcelona, I stood seventh. An Atlanta, I injured my shoulder muscles,'' Vijay said.National Paralympic Committee of India selected Vijay as the flag-bearer of the Indian contingent at Sydney. ``We were just four two powerlifters, one shooter and one shotputter, while other countries had contingents of hundreds accompanied by the coaches, doctors and officials,'' Vijay told The Indian Express.He and his three teammates, Vijay claims, were able to enhance their performance by at least 10 per cent at the Paralympics. ``On the other hand, in Olympics for able-bodied, a few Indian athletes could perform much better than what they had achieved before. And despite that they enjoy all privileges, get handsome cash awards and what not. As far as we (handicapped) are concerned, we are deprived of everything,'' regrets Vijay.He believes his kind of athletes can do better if they are provided just one fourth of the facilities enjoyed by their able-bodied counterparts. ``Plan a four-year scientific coaching scheme for us and give us Rs 10,000 per month for nutrition and stress-free life,'' he suggests. Vijay, who works as a civil engineer in Western Coalfields Limited (WCL), a subsidiary of Coal India Ltd., is very much thankful to his company, which assists him financially time and again.''
