Twenty years ago, on the evening of May 29, 1997, Saravana Kumar, fresh from his Class 10 public exams, went to the Railway Institute at Podanur for a regular session of his favourite table tennis. The hall was closed for games because a function was going on. And so, Saravana headed out with friends to play hide and seek.
That was the last time he ran on his feet. An accident during play rendered him paraplegic, with control over just 15 per cent of his body. The sports loving boy stopped with watching games on television and reviewing them on social media.
Sometime in 2014, he decided to take up the sport he loved. Table tennis can be played on a chair, and also with an opponent who is not wheelchair-bound. Now, Saravana is one of the 15 people representing the country in the Al-Watani Open, one of the calendar events of the ITTF Para Table Tennis Committee. The team was chosen by the Sports Authority of India and the Table Tennis Federation of India after a selection round held in Indore in August. “In a way, life has come a full circle with this tournament,” says Saravana.
On November 17, Saravana undertook his first solo journey in more than 20 years and his first trip abroad when he boarded an Air Arabia flight to Amman, via Chennai and Sharjah. “I’ve prepared my body enough and taken necessary steps so that I can have a comfortable journey,” said Saravana, hours before boarding his flight. He’s since reached safely.
A lot of people have helped Saravana make the journey. He has been able to travel without an escort thanks to the generosity of Pune-based Arcatron Mobility. The start-up, founded by former students of NIT Calicut, serves to address accessibility issues. Their star is Frido, a high-functional shower and commode wheelchair that fits into a suitcase, and can be folded in less than 60 seconds; it needs no tools to assemble too.
Co-Founder & CEO Ganesh Sonawane says that when Saravana wrote to them, they accelerated their prototype timelines (it was originally supposed to release in January) and got his wheelchair ready in a few weeks. He’s now the brand ambassador too. “Frido is a huge help because taking care of personal hygiene without support is very difficult,” says Saravana.
Ganesh says the team was driven by Saravana’s enthusiasm. “A person with so many abilities must not be restricted because of mobility. His upper limbs are strong and it is unacceptable that he cannot be independent because of concerns about person hygiene. He must be given a dignified and safe access to bathrooms, and Frido helps with that,” he adds.
But, why table tennis? “Because, this is a sport where a person on the wheelchair can compete with one who’s not,” says Saravana, who resumed playing at the Railway Institute. But, to up his game, training him these past few months is Sagayaraj Leslee of Rehob TT Shop and Academy, RS Puram. This is the first time he’s training someone from the para games. “His backhand attack is very good” says Sagayaraj, who sits on a chair to play with his student.
Saravana will play both singles and doubles (he partners with Hosur-based Raj Aravindan, a former coach), as well as take part in the team event.
Ganga Hospital helped with flight expenses and CRI Pumps bore the tournament fee and accommodation cost. Rama Rajasekaran, Director, Ganga Hospital, says that Saravana has always been available to help others with spinal injuries during peer reviews, and so on. “He’s a very inspiring person. He drives his own car (he’s clocked 50,000 km in three years on his modified Hyundai Elantra) and lends others confidence. When he needed financial assistance to go to Jordan, we had to chip in. It will encourage others to take up such opportunities.”
When the CSR team of CRI Pumps placed the request to fund Saravana before the management, it was approved almost immediately. S Raja of the team says that the company has a history of helping out in the field of sports, besides education. The group has been conducting an all-India basket ball tournament for girls for 13 years now. “Saravana is trying to rise above his circumstances, and must be helped. Our vice-chairman G Soundararajan felt finances must not be a constraint for someone with this kind of ability. That is how Saravana became the first para sportsperson we have supported.”
Saravana is in Jordan till November 23, and hopes to visit the archaeological city of Petra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the South of the country, depending on how accessible it is for him.
That was the last time he ran on his feet. An accident during play rendered him paraplegic, with control over just 15 per cent of his body. The sports loving boy stopped with watching games on television and reviewing them on social media.
Sometime in 2014, he decided to take up the sport he loved. Table tennis can be played on a chair, and also with an opponent who is not wheelchair-bound. Now, Saravana is one of the 15 people representing the country in the Al-Watani Open, one of the calendar events of the ITTF Para Table Tennis Committee. The team was chosen by the Sports Authority of India and the Table Tennis Federation of India after a selection round held in Indore in August. “In a way, life has come a full circle with this tournament,” says Saravana.
On November 17, Saravana undertook his first solo journey in more than 20 years and his first trip abroad when he boarded an Air Arabia flight to Amman, via Chennai and Sharjah. “I’ve prepared my body enough and taken necessary steps so that I can have a comfortable journey,” said Saravana, hours before boarding his flight. He’s since reached safely.
A lot of people have helped Saravana make the journey. He has been able to travel without an escort thanks to the generosity of Pune-based Arcatron Mobility. The start-up, founded by former students of NIT Calicut, serves to address accessibility issues. Their star is Frido, a high-functional shower and commode wheelchair that fits into a suitcase, and can be folded in less than 60 seconds; it needs no tools to assemble too.
Co-Founder & CEO Ganesh Sonawane says that when Saravana wrote to them, they accelerated their prototype timelines (it was originally supposed to release in January) and got his wheelchair ready in a few weeks. He’s now the brand ambassador too. “Frido is a huge help because taking care of personal hygiene without support is very difficult,” says Saravana.
Ganesh says the team was driven by Saravana’s enthusiasm. “A person with so many abilities must not be restricted because of mobility. His upper limbs are strong and it is unacceptable that he cannot be independent because of concerns about person hygiene. He must be given a dignified and safe access to bathrooms, and Frido helps with that,” he adds.
But, why table tennis? “Because, this is a sport where a person on the wheelchair can compete with one who’s not,” says Saravana, who resumed playing at the Railway Institute. But, to up his game, training him these past few months is Sagayaraj Leslee of Rehob TT Shop and Academy, RS Puram. This is the first time he’s training someone from the para games. “His backhand attack is very good” says Sagayaraj, who sits on a chair to play with his student.
Saravana will play both singles and doubles (he partners with Hosur-based Raj Aravindan, a former coach), as well as take part in the team event.
Ganga Hospital helped with flight expenses and CRI Pumps bore the tournament fee and accommodation cost. Rama Rajasekaran, Director, Ganga Hospital, says that Saravana has always been available to help others with spinal injuries during peer reviews, and so on. “He’s a very inspiring person. He drives his own car (he’s clocked 50,000 km in three years on his modified Hyundai Elantra) and lends others confidence. When he needed financial assistance to go to Jordan, we had to chip in. It will encourage others to take up such opportunities.”
When the CSR team of CRI Pumps placed the request to fund Saravana before the management, it was approved almost immediately. S Raja of the team says that the company has a history of helping out in the field of sports, besides education. The group has been conducting an all-India basket ball tournament for girls for 13 years now. “Saravana is trying to rise above his circumstances, and must be helped. Our vice-chairman G Soundararajan felt finances must not be a constraint for someone with this kind of ability. That is how Saravana became the first para sportsperson we have supported.”
Saravana is in Jordan till November 23, and hopes to visit the archaeological city of Petra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the South of the country, depending on how accessible it is for him.