‘I’m often made to feel like a piece of s***’

So is it the same story as with other sports organisations?
There is far too much lobbying going on, not too many people have the interests of the sportspersons at heart. They also ill-treat us. You have to call someone many times before you are given an appointment — and then they behave as if they’ve done you a favour by meeting you.

If that’s what happens with you, it must be worse for lesser-known athletes
Absolutely. I know of so many of them who have been treated so badly. When some tournament happens, they put athletes with major disabilities up on the second and third floors…no one bothers about their food or their training or anything. And that’s only general indifference. There is discrimination in so many other areas as well. Daily allowances, basic facilities…. Everything.

Have you approached the political circles about this?
Yes, I have. And they irritate me even more. All their talk about Mera Bharat Mahaan is nonsense. They don’t care either. They just look at us in this sympathetic way and then they forget about it. If they were to do even 20 per cent of what they do for able-bodied athletes, we would be happy. That we deserve the same status as able-bodied athletes is not even something we think about.

If you were to ask for things to happen, what would you focus on?
Just basic wheelchair-friendliness would be a start. I don’t know if after speaking to you I will ever get a chance or not. But you have to realise that I am not just speaking for myself. Anju (Bobby George) is such a big star…I won a world championship medal (discus throw bronze at Birmingham, 1998) before she did. And I don’t even have an Arjuna Award to show for it.