The moment of truth for Girisha Hosanagara Nagarajegowda, a 24-year-old youth from Karnataka, came at around 19.50 London time, when he stood few meters away from 1.74 meters high bar at the Paralympics in London.
Just before he strode towards his silver medal winning jump, he just had one inner chant - ‘Sairam’. Over one lakh spectators cheered and he gave a billion people back home, more courage to dream and more strength to aspire; his jump rekindled hope for thousands.
“I am a God fearing person. So whenever I start off, I always chant baba’s name to whom, I pray, before I get set and go,” says Girish, who felt a pride like never before when he saw the Indian flag flying high at the London Olympics.
“When I saw our flag from a distance, there was a feeling of achievement inside me and my wishes were fulfilled,” he says. This youth, who has an impairment in his left leg, never thought winning could be so exhilarating.
“I was surprised and equally excited when I got my first congratulatory call from Chief Minister of Gujurat, Narendra Modi. From then the phone has never stopped ringing,” he says. He has been getting constant congratulatory messages from bureaucrats to Bollywood celebrities.
“Just few minutes ago, Former Chief Minister Sadananda Gowda called me followed by our current Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar, who has called me for a meeting when I go back from here. Then I had Sports Minister Ajay Maken, who congratulated me.
Bollywood stars Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar and Sonakshi Sinha sent in their congratulatory messages,” he says. Back home in Hassan, ignorant of the significance of the win, Girish’s parents have the same feeling when he won at the national level.
“Till today my parents never forced me to give up on my sport. They have the same excitement whenever they see me winning, be it in state, national or international level. It is because of the freedom given by them that I have come to this level,” he said.
Though he missed the gold by a fraction, he is confident of winning gold in the next game at Rio. But Girish’s main aim was to challenge the Chinese participant. He says, “My winning was everybody’s dream but I wanted to beat the Chinese contestant and I was glad when I did it. I felt, I was given the same encouragement and training like they received. If they can win, even I can achieve. So I worked very hard. The word ‘win’ was running in my mind,” he says.
For him, the excitement is not yet over. He will be holding the Indian flag during the closing ceremony of the Paralympics.
“Somewhere in the back of my mind, I had this feeling that I might hold the tri-colour as my win had boosted my confidence. And with Shirdi’s blessings, I got this wonderful opportunity. It is an honour to represent my country,” he said.
The medal winner practiced for 6 hours everyday from the time his participation was confirmed at the Paralympics.
“I jumped 3 hours in the morning and 3 hours in the afternoon. Along with that, I had to keep my body fit, which was a tough task,” says Girish, who is also a cricket buff.
Samarathanam, an NGO, supported him with six months of BPO training, which fetched him a job with a leading private bank in Bangalore. The bank even sponsored his entire trip for the Kuwait International Open athletics.
“At one point, I was in two minds; whether I should give up my secured job or sports. But the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) and my coach Satyanarayana gave me the confidence that I will do well and my future will be bright,” said Girisha.
Now that offers are pouring from different government sectors, what would this young achiever prefer? “I will come back and decide what is best for me and work with an organisation which will allow me to pursue my sport too,” he said. His hard work was also supported by his friends. He says, “My friend Suresh from Hoskote and Ramesh from Goruru always boosted my confidence. They told me that I should not worry about anything and work towards winning a medal for India.”
Talking about his accessory, which is a simple flip-flop bound with a twine, he says, “Since my left leg is quite weak, from the time I started jumping, I used only the slipper and the thread tied around it. Even though I was given spike shoes, I never felt comfortable. In fact I never won a medal when I wore the spikes, ” says Girisha, adding, “I vouch for the slippers and the thread, which has always given the grip and support.”
Countering the government’s apathy towards sportspersons, he says that he has got all the required support from the government.
“As of now, except the government, nobody else has taken us seriously and I hope they continue to take care of us,” he says. In London, he has been receiving pecks on his cheeks from every common person who recognised him there.
“The kind of recognition we get here is amazing. I only hope, we get the same response by the people in India. I wish to be a coach someday and establish a Paralympics academy,” says Girish, who also intends to study further.
‘I used to bunk classes and watch movies’
“Back then, I left sports for two years to concentrate on my education and finished my degree. Now with my sports activities, I wish to study further,” he says.
He has been inspired by many people right from Sachin Tendulkar to Bollywood superstar, Amitabh Bachchan. Being a Kannadiga from Hassan, Girisha always had one song in mind, which is his father's favourite. He says, “My father's favourite actor was Dr Rajkumar. I have watched most of his films because of my father. Our favourite song is Huttidare Kannada Nadale Hootabeku.
I used to bunk classes and also watch Dr Vishnuvardhan films,” says this young sportsperson, whose current favourite is Puneeth Rajkumar.
“My friends keep telling me that I look like Puneeth and a few compared me Prakash Rai,” he chuckles. If given a chance, will he wish to act? “I would definitely work with Puneeth but not at the cost of my sports because this is my future,” he signed off.
