THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Neethu U V and Neena U V are on cloud nine. At the National Games of the Deaf held at Hyderabad earlier this month, the siblings pocketed so many medals in badminton that the celebrations haven't quite ended at their home in Sreekariyam.
Neethu, 21, a diploma student in computer engineering at Government Women's Polytechnic, Karamana, won the singles event and stood second in mixed doubles at the games. Neena, a class X student at Government GHSS, Pattom, came second in mixed doubles and stood third in the singles event. And, playing as a team, the duo won the doubles event. Neethu has represented the country in several international championships for the deaf. In fact, she has won medals in championships for the deaf as well as in the regular category. But the going was never easy for the siblings and their parents P Udayakumar and Vijayakumari R, all of whom battle speech and hearing impairment.
Perched near a rack filled to the brim with trophies and medals, Neethu jogs her memory to the day it all started. The day an innocent wish to learn badminton upon seeing the neighbourhood children play crept into her mind. She never knew that her life was about to change forever. Soon, she passed on her passion for the sport to Neena.
Udayakumar, a football player and a staff at Central Tuber Crops Research Institute, Sreekariyam, is thrilled about his daughters' achievement. Their mother Vijayakumari and grandmother Rukmini A still remember the ordeal they went through when they learned that the girls could neither talk nor hear. "I was extremely worried about how they would live their lives. But now I have no worries about them," Vijayakumari explains using the sign language, which her niece Nitya translates.
Neethu started learning the game when she was thirteen. It didn't take long for Neena to join her sister's path. Today, they make a strong team together. The duo, who train under badminton coach Praveen Lal in Shangumugham, never miss any sessions. But the passion for the sport never came at the expense of their studies. They continue to excel in studies in equal measure. Neethu has clinched first places many a time in the regular badminton events too. Neethu, who idolises Saina Nehwal, dreams of becoming a renowned badminton player. She fondly remembers the day they had met Saina during a championship and how she had encouraged them to pursue the game. "Success is yours if you don't let anything bog you down,” according to Neethu. The duo proves it with their life.