BENGALURU: Winners of state-level wheelchair tennis, Prathima N Rao and Shekar Veeraswamy, have turned personal challenges into triumphs on the tennis court. The tournament was organised by the Karnataka Wheelchair Tennis Association on October 26 and 27 at Karnataka State Lawn Tennis Association (KSLTA) stadium, where more than 59 players participated.
After contracting polio at the age of three, Prathima now proudly holds 15 awards in wheelchair tennis. Shekar, who lost a leg in an accident, has become a wheelchair tennis champion, competing in the very sport he served as ball boy since he was 10 years old. Shekar was drawn to the stadium every morning by his love for sports and Cubbon Park. However, his life changed in 2009 when he lost his leg.
For over a year, Shekar felt lost and isolated. “Life was confined to my room. I stopped eating, thinking that if nothing could change, why should I do anything?” However, his friends, who were members of Wheelchair Tennis Association, encouraged him to come and watch others play. Shekar decided to give wheelchair tennis a try in 2010, but failed terribly at first.
“I didn’t know how to move the tennis racquet or wheelchair,” Shekar recalled. “But tennis taught me to accept my failures and move on.” By 2011, he had won both singles and doubles. In 2013, he earned a gold medal during selection trials in South Africa. In 2015, Shekar won two medals in Hyderabad, followed by another tournament in Thailand. He holds a world ranking of 246.
Women’s singles winner Prathima N Rao was introduced to wheelchair tennis through a friend. After a polio attack at the age of three, Prathima was confined to a wheelchair. In 2011, she discovered KSLTA and began practicing every weekend.
Years later, Prathima has earned 15 awards across categories, representing Karnataka in national games and served as India’s representative in tournaments in Malaysia and Bangkok.
Although her love for tennis came long before her actual involvement — she considered Leander Paes and Sania Mirza her idols — Prathima initially tried her hand at archery and athletics. However, she soon realised that tennis was her true calling. She ranks number 2 in wheelchair tennis in India.