BHUBANESWAR: If there is will, there is always a way into the stands. Wheelchair-bound Prasan Soreng has found it out. Kalinga Stadium does not have lifts to provide access to persons with disabilities (PwDs) to the stands. So every time, he comes to Kalinga Stadium to watch hockey, he has friends or volunteers to help him take to the gallery.“The organisers are caring and want me to watch the matches from the ground-level but the view from stands is more exciting,” said Prasan who was at the stadium to watch the second semi-final of Hockey World League 2017.
This is not first time he went to the hockey complex of the stadium. Prasan has watched Champions Trophy and Hockey India League matches in the past too. But every time, he needs his brother, friends and volunteers to lift him up to the stands.A PG in English Literature, Prasan’s love for hockey comes almost naturally. He hails from Sundargarh, the nursery of the game that has produced some of India’s finest players. “I love outdoor sports but my first choice is hockey like it is for people from my district,” he says.
He is a big fan of Australia’s Dawson Matt and is happy that the Kookaburras have entered the finals. He will also keenly follow India take on Germany for the third and fourth positions on Sunday when the HWL comes to an end.But when Odisha hosts World Cup next year, Prasan would like the Government to make Kalinga Stadium barrier-free for PwDs.