Drive on to spot wheelchair basketball players of future

Coimbatore: When Keerthi was once a Class V pupil, she needed to go through a surgery for an issue in her spinal wire, which left her unable to walk. But, on Sunday, the 22-year-old girl was once at a basketball court docket in the town, excitedly trying to dribble a basketball.
“I have no longer participated in any sport sooner than. But, now I wish to get educated in wheelchair basketball and excel in it,” Keerthi, who was once one of the most contributors of a camp to create consciousness on wheelchair basketball, instructed TOI.

N Priyadas, 28, a wheelchair athlete, who participates in shot put, javelin and discus throw, mentioned he was once also new to wheelchair basketball. “We don’t know whether or not we will get to participate in national-level or state-level basketball tournaments. But, we wish to give it a take a look at,” he mentioned.

The programme was once a skill identification camp up to it was once an consciousness camp, mentioned Guna of Sittruli Foundation, which has been operating to encourage disabled people to soak up sports.

“Wheelchair basketball coaching camps happen in Chennai and Vellore. We sought after to begin one in Coimbatore as smartly. Our goal is to shape a wheelchair basketball staff in Coimbatore,” he mentioned.

Though there are people in tier-II cites corresponding to Coimbatore, who wish to soak up wheelchair sports, they don’t have much alternatives, mentioned Lalithkumar Natarajan of Love and Acceptance, an NGO for the welfare of disabled people.

He mentioned such camps would encourage people with mobility disabilities to soak up sports. “The camp would also assist to identify potential candidates, who may well be educated,” mentioned Natarajan, a para-athlete, who does rifle capturing and biking.


Natarajan mentioned the primary downside people with mobility issues face in sports is that sports wheelchairs are expensive. “They will want customised sports wheelchairs consistent with their physique, that are expensive,” he mentioned.


Agrees V Rajan, an international basketball referee. “People can’t follow basketball on concrete flooring. They want wooden flooring for smoother wheelchair mobility. Also, they want sports wheelchairs, that are very efficient in relation to movements. They price around Rs 60,000,” he mentioned.


The initiative is a collaboration of Sittruli Foundation and Love and Acceptance and Decathlon.


Drive on to spot wheelchair basketball players of future Drive on to spot wheelchair basketball players of future Reviewed by Kailash on February 26, 2018 Rating: 5
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