MADURAI: Para throw ball player Gowthaman Elangovan, one of the main players in the Indian para throw ball team, recently won the gold medal in Malaysia-India Para Throwball Training Work Shop and Match Series held in Malaysia.
Para Throwball Federation of India organised Malaysia-India Para Throwball Training Work Shop and Match Series in Malaysia from July 28 to July 31. Teams of both men and women participated in the event. Each team consists of 12 players who hailed from different parts of the country. Of these, three players from Tamil Nadu -- Gowthaman Elangovan (Madurai), Mohan (Coimbatore), and Karthikeyan (Mayiladuthurai) -- appeared in the Men's team. They performed their best in the event and won gold in the match series. Gowthaman Elangovan was appreciated by the District Collector MS Sangeetha on Monday.
Speaking to TNIE, Para Throwball Federation of India President V Albert Premkumar said the three male players were the main players of the Indian team. "The federation has planned to conduct the International Championship for Para Throwball from January 12 to 16 in Chennai. Nearly 12 players from different parts of the country will participate in the event," he added.
Speaking to TNIE, Gowthaman Elangovan, who is pursuing his final year in B.Tech, said he has cerebral palsy, but it hasn't stopped him from nurturing his interest in sports.
"From my childhood to my third year of B. Tech, I have participated in various chess championships and brought laurels to my school and college. I was introduced to Throwball through my friend and I dedicated myself to practising in the game for over a year and made up my mind to win gold in the Paralympic games," he said.
He further explained the challenges faced by the para players and appealed that the public must recognise them and come forward to provide sponsors on par with the able-bodied players.