Wheelchair no deterrent for these rugby players
Indian Express: As the Paraplegic Rehabilitation Centre (PRC) located at Khadki marks the World Disability Day on Thursday, it will have an impressive success to celebrate. Its four players who were a part of the Indian Wheelchair Rugby Team also return on Thursday after their first ever game.
The National Wheelchair Rugby Team, that had four players from Pune, played against Brazil in a demonstration game held at the World Wheelchair and Amputee Games in Bangalore. Hundreds of athletes from 45 nations descended for the Games organised by the International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports (IWAS) Federation and hosted by the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI).
Players from Pune city included Jaspal Singh, V T Maske, Phurbu Rendol and N Umendran. “Although the opponents were far more trained, playing the game is an achievement in itself and has motivated us to practise more. It was a challenge considering the dearth of resources and trainers. We initially did not even have the rugby wheelchairs to practise. Nevertheless, we are now confident of defeating any team in the next six months,” said 46-year-old Umendran.
The Games that concluded yesterday also included table tennis, athletics and archery. The rugby demo game was played after three days of combined training of both the teams. “They performed really well with very little resources. I have been with the PRC for the last 20 years and there is a lot of assistance needed, particularly a coach. The game only helped us realise how much we need to advance and improve,” said Major (retd) Mahesh Waghmare, who accompanied the players to Bangalore. He has also been the international basketball coach.
The national team along with 12 players from PRC and Indian Spiral Injury Centre (ISIC) was coached by Rajiv Vivat, coordinated by Vicky Sigworth and managed by Dr Anshul Sharma. “I am actively involved for the last two years and the game is a big step. We now plan to hold a demo game at the Commonwealth Games next year,” said Sharma, physiotherapist and team manager of the National Wheelchair Rugby Team.
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