KOZHIKODE: For Abhinand, every movement is an effort. Even standing without assistance is a challenge, and walking can be difficult. Yet, at the sports meet, he took on the standing jump event, turning the arena into a place where his courage spoke louder than his physical limitations.
A Plus I humanities student at Government HSS, Mathamangalam, Abhinand spent much of his childhood battling a rare neurological movement disorder. But the condition did not extinguish his enthusiasm for sports.
He was around nine when his parents, Saji Kumar and Soumya of Kanjirakkatt House in Kannur, first noticed an unusual tremor in his right hand. It gradually spread to other parts of his body, affecting his ability to move his arms and legs.
Tests, including those at National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) in Bengaluru, identified generalised dystonia, a neurological disorder that causes involuntary muscle contractions and abnormal movements.
Doctors warned that his symptoms could worsen as he grew older, while the possibility of a complete recovery remained unclear. A complex surgical procedure, estimated to cost around `15 lakh, could potentially improve his condition by around 30%, but the challenges and costs remain formidable.
Yet, amid hospital visits and difficult medical realities, Abhinand found something that made him look beyond his condition —sports.
His father recognised his son’s interest and began taking him to a nearby panchayat ground to play with other children. Football became his favourite pastime. Wearing his beloved Lionel Messi jersey, Abhinand would join his friends on the field, enjoying the game and dreaming of delivering precise passes and creating scoring opportunities. The playground offered him more than recreation. It gave him companionship, confidence and a chance to be part of a team without being defined by his condition.
His love for football extended to watching matches on television. Even as his mobility declined, his enthusiasm for the sport remained undiminished. That passion found expression at the state level. In 2024, Abhinand secured fourth place in the standing broad jump at a state-level inclusive sports competition. Last year, he represented Kannur in inclusive football at the state school sports event and participated in the inclusive events at the first Kerala School Olympics in the state capital.
Despite struggling to stand and walk, he impressed spectators with his ball control and passing skills. His performance offered a glimpse of sporting ability that physical limitations could not erase. Abhinand managed a jump of 1.43m at this year’s state meet, securing fourth place. At the district-level qualifying event, he had cleared 2.8m. His father, Saji Kumar, believes the medication Abhinand takes affected his performance.
“His medicines make him feel drowsy and weak, and that took a toll on his performance. He had managed to jump 2.8 metres at the district-level qualifying event, but could reach only 1.43 metres at the state meet. Still, he secured fourth place despite all the difficulties he faces. We are proud that he continues to participate in sports and refuses to give up,” Saji Kumar says.
