Adversity brings out the best in you, provided you are prepared to fight, and Prasanta Karmakar has been doing just that ever since he lost his right arm in a road accident when he was only seven years old. He overcame the odds and showed the relentless drive of a remarkable swimmer, with plenty of commitment, courage, personal pride and strength of mind.
Many would have thought it was the end of the road, but his daring spirit and passion for swimming took him all the way to glory. He was 16 when he started his swimming career, and in a 14-year journey he has seen plenty of ups and downs. Since 2001 he has been India’s leading Para swimmer, and he has won 30 international medals so far. Ranked third in Asia, Prasanta also won a bronze at the International German Swimming Championships for the Disabled in June last year, and winning the Arjuna Award this year was the crowning glory of his career.
How it started
The accident never held him back. He was always interested in sport, and football and swimming were among his favourites. For any aspiring sportsperson, the beginning is even harder if you are physically disabled and come from a humble background. He faced resistance not only from the authorities concerned but also from his family and friends.
“When I was in Kolkata, I used to take part in school and district championships. My dad never wanted me to be a sportsperson, as he saw no scope for a disabled person in this field. My family always wanted me to focus on academics and secure my future. There wasn’t much Para swimming at that time, and it is undeniably an expensive sport too. My dad was a driver then, and it was impossible for me to take it forward. So I moved to Pune for my training,” said Prasanta.
The most challenging phase
The move to Pune gave his swimming a push, and he became a regular on the national circuit. In 1998 he joined Go For Sports under coach Nihar Ameen. Because of his humble background, he was given a scholarship of Rs 4,000 a month, but his expenses were around Rs 30,000.
“Even after joining the academy and getting a little financial support, I had to struggle to train. I used to survive on loans to meet my expenses. It hasn’t been easy. Indian Para athletes face difficulties even in getting access to training facilities, so sponsorship is a distant prospect,” he told ISN.
He is deeply grateful to his senior, Para swimmer Sukhbir Singh from Haryana, who brought him from Bengal to train in Haryana and has supported him in all his needs so far. For seven years, Prasanta has represented Haryana in Para swimming, excelling at every national meet.
Inspiration for others
Amid all the odds and shortcomings, what kept his passion and hope alive was his firm belief in God and in his own abilities. He never let his physical disability or poverty stand in the way of his dream of becoming a champion swimmer. In his 14-year swimming career, he has never looked back at the accident or the days of struggle. He trains at the Go For Sports academy in Bangalore.
“Prasanta has been training under me since 1998. He is focused and hard-working. He never trains with a feeling that he is different from, or any less than, anyone else. His presence at the academy has been an inspiration to the rest of the swimmers. Seeing him work hard without complaining, the others naturally put in even more effort. The environment he trains in, alongside other international swimmers, has also transformed him in the past few years,” said Nihar Ameen.
Gratitude and angst
Prasanta is very grateful to the Haryana Chief Minister, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who recently offered him the post of sub-inspector in the Haryana Police. He feels that even when an athlete works hard, it is overall support and appreciation that motivates him further.
“The Haryana government has given me plenty of support in the past few years. Even though I am from Kolkata, I feel at home in Haryana. The West Bengal government never appreciated or supported me in any way, and they often said I was a Haryana player, forgetting that I represent India too and that the nation comes first. It is sad that even today there is not even a one per cent reservation in government jobs for Para athletes,” said Prasanta.
“It was humiliating for all the Para swimmers at the 2010 Commonwealth Games that the swimsuits promised to us by the government were not provided. I don’t expect every player to be given a job, but there should be some provision for those who win a number of medals for the country at international championships,” he added.
He expressed his disappointment at the indifferent attitude towards Para athletes in the country when it comes to opportunities and jobs. Even though medals won by Para athletes count just as much as those won by able-bodied athletes, Karmakar and other Para athletes suffer at the hands of India’s indifferent sporting institutions, facing neglect, humiliation and threats if they speak out.
“If I have to look around for a sponsor and a means of earning a livelihood to secure my future, when am I going to concentrate on my training?” he asks.
“I request the government to make some provision for Para athletes as well. At present I appreciate the changes Sports Minister Ajay Maken has introduced in the sports scenario, but a lot more can be done to build our country’s sporting image internationally.”
Where the future lies
A big fan of the disabled sprinter Oscar Pistorius, Prasanta received the Arjuna Award from the President on National Sports Day in the capital, adding another feather to his cap. He will resume training in a week’s time and prepare for the championships in November and December, which are also the qualifiers for the 2012 London Paralympic Games.
“2010-11 has been the golden period of my life, and I have high hopes for the coming season as well. I am not really sure of qualifying at the November championship in Australia, but in December I will surely get through the qualifiers,” said Karmakar.
Prasanta Karmakar, an inspiration to many, has fought every adversity with guts. Be it the unfairness of nature or the ironies of life, he has conquered them all. With a will to make the country proud, Prasanta is now waiting for an official sponsorship and scholarship to support him and help him realise his dream project of opening a world-class swimming academy in Haryana.
Significant achievements
- 1 silver and 1 bronze medal at the Asian Para Games, Guangzhou, China, 2010
- Bronze medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games – India’s first-ever medal in aquatics at the Commonwealth Games
- Asian record holder in three events – 50m butterfly, 50m breaststroke and 50m backstroke
- Qualified for the 2010 IPC World Swimming Championships, Eindhoven, Netherlands
- Bronze medal at the International German Swimming Championships, Berlin, Germany, 2010
- 4 gold, 2 silver and 1 bronze medal at the IWAS World Games, 2009
- 2 bronze medals at the Beijing Qualifying Championships, Berlin, Germany, 2008
- Arjuna Award, 2011
- 2 gold, 1 silver and 2 bronze medals at the Taiwan World Games, 2007
- 1 bronze medal at the FESPIC Games, Malaysia, 2006
- 6 gold medals each at the 9th and 8th National Swimming Championships, 2008 and 2007
- 5 gold medals each at the 7th and 6th National Swimming Championships, 2006 and 2005
By Akshi Aggarwal
Indian Sports News
