International Para Athlete R.T. Prasanna Kumar to be guest of honour

Rotary Mysore Midtown will be hosting a Specially Abled Children and Youth Sports Meet under the title ‘Baandavya 2022-23’ at Oval Grounds, University of Mysore (UoM), in city on Nov. 19.

Announcing this at a press meet at Pathrakartara Bhavan in city yesterday, Rotary Mysore Midtown President M.S. Naveen Chandra said that the Sports Meet, which is being organised since 15 years was not held for the last two years due to COVID pandemic. This Sports Meet intends to prepare special children for Olympics, he added.

There is an opportunity for 600 persons to take part in this year’s sports meet and already 550 members have registered for the same. However, there is an option for spot registration as well and the registration is for free, he said.

The children are segregated into two categories — Higher Ability and Lower Ability. Both categories will include age group — 8-11 years, 12-15 years, 16-21 years, 22-29 years and 30 years — in boys and girls category and they will participate in games like Running, Long Jump, High Jump, Shot Put Throw, Tennis Ball Throw, Soft Ball Throw and team game BOCCE.

The winners will be awarded with Gold, Silver and Bronze medals along with certificates and trophies. Special prize for Best Dressed Team, Best Disciplined Team and Best Marching Team will be awarded.

The event will be inaugurated by Suttur Seer Sri Shivarathri Deshikendra Swamiji at 9 am on Nov. 19. RI District 3181 District Governor-Elect Rtn. H.R. Keshav will be the chief guest. International Para Athlete R.T. Prasanna Kumar will be the guest of honour.

The valedictory will be held at 4.30 pm the same day. Mandya’s Srirangapatna Sub-Division Dy.SP S.N. Sandesh Kumar will be the chief guest. Rotary District 3181 Zone-7 Assistant Governor Rtn. R. Venkatesh and University of Mysore’s Department of Physical Education (DPE) Director Dr. P. Krishnaiah will the guests of honour.

For registration, contact Mob: 98801-65946 or 99807-82008.

Rotary Mysore Midtown Hon. Secretary S. Kumaraswamy, Baandavya-2022 Chairman Jaykumar, Co-Chairman Elizer Milton, Rotary Mysore Midtown Past President A.N. Aiyanna and Rotarian H.S. Veeresh were present at the press meet.

From Polio to Para Athletics

With no leave and professional training, R.T. Prasanna Kumar had won back to back medals for the country in Para Athletics. However, his efforts paid off when Paralympic Committee of India too was recognised by the Government of India which makes them eligible to receive financial as well as other forms of assistance.

A native of Kondlahally in Chitradurga district, the 43-year-old Prasanna Kumar is currently working as an Assistant Master at Government Junior College Molakalmuru, Chitradurga.

Presently a National Record Holder, Prasanna Kumar has played three Asian Para Games and won 2 Silver Medals; Represented India in three World Championships and is a IWAS World Games Gold Medallist and a Asian Championship Gold Medallist.

Having Polio affected right leg since the age of 4 years, he has been competing in F42 (Lower limb competing without prosthesis affected by limb deficiency, leg length difference, impaired muscle power or impaired passive range of movement) and T42 (Lower limb competing without prosthesis affected by limb deficiency, leg length difference, impaired muscle power or impaired passive range of movement) classifications of Para Athletics.

Speaking to Star of Mysore, Prasanna Kumar said, “Earlier it was difficult for me to manage my profession and my passion for sports as it was difficult to get paid leaves though I was selected for International Championships as Para sports was not included for such facility. I still managed to play for my country even though I had incurred Loss of Pay (LOP) for almost 165 days. However, it was later revoked after the matter was raised at the Assembly Session and finally the then Sports Minister wrote to the officials stating that Prasanna Kumar’s case was a special one and hence, leave with salary be sanctioned.”

“Only 53 Federations were recognised till 1994. However, after a long fight and with the help of my journalist friends who highlighted my plight, Paralympic Committee of India too was recognised in July 2019 with few more Federations, taking the number of recognised Federations to 65 and now the issue has been sorted out,” he added.

“Now the classification has been upgraded for para athletes. I am not concentrating much on Javelin Throw but have moved to Shuttle Badminton,” Prasanna Kumar said adding that he had taken part in the Uganda Para Badminton International-2022 where he lost in the quarter-finals.

Prasanna Kumar, son of R.K. Thippeswamy and Rathnamma, has done M.Sc (Physics), B.Ed. He is married to L.R. Sarala and has two daughters.

Sports Achievements

• 5th National Championship For Physically Challenged, Bengaluru (2002) – Gold Medal in Javelin Throw; Gold in High Jump.
• (Fespic Games) Asian Para Games – Busan – South Korea (2002) –  Silver in Javelin Throw; Silver in High Jump.
• Selected or Paralympic Games – Athence – Greece (2004) – Could not participate due to serious injury.
• National Championship for Physically Challenged (2013), Bengaluru (2013) – Gold in Javelin Throw.
• German Athletic Championship, Berlin, Germany (2013) – Silver in Javelin Throw.
• IPC World Athletic Championship, Lyon, France (2013) – 5th Place in Javelin Throw.
• Asian Para Games, Incheon, South Korea (2014) – 4th Position in Javelin Throw.
• National Championship for Physically Challenged, Gaziabad, Uttar Pradesh (2015) – Gold in Javelin Throw.
• IWAS World Games, Sochi, Russia (2015) – Gold in Javelin Throw.
• IPC World Athletic Championship, Doha, Qatar (2015) – Qualified for Rio Paralympic Games, Brazil (2016) in Javelin Throw.
• IPC Asia Oceania Athletic Championship, Dubai (2016) – Gold in Javelin Throw.
• Sharjaha Open Athletic Championship (2016) – Silver in Javelin Throw.
• National Para Athletic Championship, Haryana (2016) – Gold in Javelin Throw.
• National Para Athletic Championship, Jaipur (2017) – Silver in Javelin Throw.
• Para Athletic World Championship, London (2017) –  9th Position in Javelin Throw.
• 1st Indian Open Para Athletic Championship, Bengaluru (2018) – Gold in Javelin Throw.
• Asian Para Games, Jakarta, Indonesia (2018) – 5th Position.