Pramod Bhagat: A tale from Polio to Paralympics

 
This is an incredible story of grit and glory, struggle and determination, where a polio-affected kid turns the misfortunes into his strengths and trains himself to become one of the finest para-shuttler. Pramod Bhagat is a three-time world champion, has ranked number one in para-badminton men’s singles in the SL3 category. He is also one of the rare shuttlers who can play equally well in both the singles as well as the doubles format.

“Nothing worth having comes easy”

Pramod was born on 4th June 1988 in Hajipur, Bihar. He is one of the six brothers and sisters. His father worked as a worker in a rice mill. Pramod was struck by polio at the age of five. Doctors told his father that they can either drive the effect of polio towards his hands or the legs. His father was given a tough choice to choose if the doctors should work to save his son’s hands or legs. His father choose his hands, but polio eventually affected his left leg.

Image Source: GETTY IMAGES

At the age of 13, he went to watch a Badminton match and was fascinated by the game. He found the sport captivating and decided to give it a try.  For the next 2 years, he was deeply engulfed in the game with footwork, fitness, and fixture of the game. As a 14-year-old, Bhagat would finish his studies to quickly go to a nearby playground to watch his school seniors play. When everyone would watch TV in the evenings, he would go and watch badminton. He had to wait a bit as he was a junior and also because of his disability, but once he started, everyone was impressed by his progress. He would practice dedicatedly for hours.

“Your life is controlled by what you focus on”

Initially, he played with able-bodied players at the district level. It is interesting to know that Bhagat played the very first tournament in his life at the age of 15 with able-bodied players and won the competition. Then he moved towards para-badminton. This is how he decided to play it professionally. He was then introduced to his first coach, S.P. Das, who shaped him as a professional para-athlete and helped him become an international player. And from here, there was no looking back. He smashed many records and won multiple medals at the national and international levels.

 After schooling, he joined an ITI course at a college in Hirakud town of Sambalpur district, but because of the poor financial standing of the family, he couldn’t complete his education. He struggled hard in his initial days of life and worked as a mechanic to eke out a living and support his parents. Bhagat’s elder brother had a repairing shop for electrical appliances. In the early part of his life, he assisted his brother in repairing works.

“Dreams and Dedication are powerful combination to achieve success”

In 2019, he won the Prestigious Arjuna award as well as Odisha Government’s Biju Patnaik Sports Award. He has won over 100 national and international medals over the course of his career. Bhagat bagged India’s first-ever badminton gold medal at the recently concluded TOKYO Paralympics.

Image Source :Pramod Bhagat Twitter

At the Tokyo Paralympics games, after beating Great Britain’s Daniel Bethell in the men’s singles SL3 event, he said that he dedicates the medal to his parents who are no more. He said, “They always dreamt of me going to the Paralympics and bringing laurels to the country. They would have been happiest of all if they were to be around”

Pramod Bhagat is a source of inspiration for the entire world. COEP Blogs wish the para-shuttler to continue to shine brighter and brighter in his career.

Credits: Gayatri Patil, Team Inspirational Saturday, TY Mechanical.

References:
https://www.kreedon.com/pramod-bhagat-story/
https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/sport-others/sachin-tendulkar-pramod-bhagat-inspiration-meeting-twitter-7498370/
https://www.orissapost.com/from-mechanic-to-gold-medalist-inspiring-tale-of-odishas-pramod-bhagat/

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