MADURAI: Women's and men's para throwball teams won gold medals at the International Para Throwball Championship held in Thailand.
C Poongodi, who led the women's team, and Gowthaman Elangovan, one of the key players of the men's team, hail from Madurai. Both teams will be participating in the Asian Throwball Championship, which will be hosted in Chennai in July.
Both teams consist of 12 players each, who hail from different parts of the country. In the women's team, another player from the state is Vasugi, who hails from Coimbatore. Likewise, in men's para throwball team, three others players from the state — Mohankumar and Sathishkumar from Coimbatore and Sathishkumar from Mayiladuthurai — participated.
Speaking to TNIE, Poongodi said she is an orphan who was raised at the Mother Teresa Home in Kancheepuram. "I suffered a polio attack on my left leg as a child. I graduated in English literature and shifted to Madurai after my marriage in 2010. I am the mother of two children and the breadwinner of the family. My husband is also disabled."
"From childhood, I was interested in sports, but being a disabled person, I was not allowed to play. Para-athletic coach Ranjith encouraged me to participate in athletics. Despite several challenges, I participated in various athletic events in 2013 and won 87 gold, 67 silver and 35 bronze medals in international matches in several countries. After an accident in 2010, I have been unable to participate in athletic events. Later, I started participating in group events. Now, I am the captain of the Indian para throwball team and the national sitting volleyball team for the past three years. The Indian team will participate in the Common Wealth Games in August under my captaincy," she said.
Poongodi said it is challenging to get coaching and sponsorships, and take care of her family. "The government needs to encourage disabled players. Haryana and Jharkhand governments are providing government jobs to disabled players," she added.
Speaking to TNIE, Elangovan, also a B Tech graduate, said he has cerebral palsy but that has not stopped him from nurturing his interest in sports. "From childhood until 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 by a friend, and I dedicated myself to practising for more than a year and made up my mind to win gold at the Paralympic Games," he said. He further explained the challenges faced by the players and appealed to the public to recognise them and sponsor them.
