BENGALURU: For a physically handicapped person, routine things too can be complicated. The trouble adds up if one is poor. Every day is a new struggle, but there are some who do not allow obstacles to come in the way of their goal.
One such person is Shekar Veeraswamy, who had dreams of playing tennis in his younger days. But an accident at the age of 15 led to an amputation from the knee down. Veeraswamy may have lost his leg but his spirit was intact. At 22, wheelchair tennis came to his rescue.
The now 31-year-old has won national and international level medals and trophies. These awards find place alongside utensils and other things on a shelf in his one-room house. Six people, including his wife, three kids and his mother, stay within the four walls of the room. “Only we know how difficult it is to stay in this house,” said Veeraswamy, who works at the Karnataka State Lawn Tennis Association (KSLTA).
A salary of `12,000 means the family finds it difficult to manage their expenses, especially since Veeraswamy is the sole breadwinner in the family. He feels that the government has not extended any support, despite him being India’s number one player in wheelchair tennis.
Many expenses are involved in wheelchair tennis. The cost of a simple wheelchair may be around `30,000, but if one wants to compete at the top level, he needs a specialised wheelchair, which costs more than `2.5 lakh. Veeraswamy, however, found support through KSLTA’s secretary PR Ramasamy and his friend
Mr KP Balaraj. Later, Sunil Jain, founder of NGO Astha, supported him. The wheelchair tennis player is thankful for the trio’s help but rues the lack of government support.
“I have not got any support from the Karnataka Government. I received the Kempegowda Award from BBMP. Besides this, no recognition, encouragement or sponsorship has come my way. It would be great if I can get a house or a job through a scheme or sportsman quota. This way, I can focus on my game,” he told CE.
Despite lack of support from the government, he has managed to come a long way in the sport. In 2018, he participated in two ITF Future Series tournament in Malaysia and Bangkok, clinching the title in the latter. He is currently ranked 193 in the world and wants government support in order to break into the top-100 soon.
Veeraswamy believes he is bound to improve if he plays international tournaments consistently. But for this, he says, he would need the government to aid him with good facilities, coaching, and travel sponsorship.
“I am hopeful that one day,I will receive the support I require and it will change not just my life but wheelchair tennis on a whole,” he says.