Adversity brings the best out of you, provided you are prepared to fight and Prashant Karmakar has been doing that ever since he lost his right arm in a road accident when he was just seven-year-old. He fought all odds and showed that he had the relentless drive of a remarkable swimmer with loads of commitment, courage, personal pride and strength of mind.
Like many, he would have taken it to be the end of life, 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 the 14 years journey, he has seen enough ups and downs of life. Since 2001, he has been India’s leading Para swimmer and has won 30 international medals so far. Ranked third in Asia, Prashant also won a bronze at the International German Swimming Championship for the Disabled in June last year and winning the Arjuna Award this year was a crowning glory of his career.
How it started
The accident never took him aback. He was always interested in sports. Football and swimming were among his favorites. For any sport aspirant, the beginning becomes even harder if you are physically disabled and to a humble background. Not only did he face resistance from the authorities concerned but also from his family and friends.
“When I was in Kolkata I use to participate in school and district championships. My dad never wanted me to be a sportsperson as he saw no scope for a handicap in this field. My family always wanted me to be in academics and secure my future. There was not much of Para swimming at that time and undeniably, it is an expensive sport too. My dad was a driver then and it was not possible for me to take it ahead anyhow. I moved to Pune for my training,” said Prashant.
The most challenging phase
On moving onto Pune, his swimming ventures got a push. He became a regular on the national circuit. In 1998, he joined the Go For Sports under Coach Nihar Ameen. Belonging to a humble background, he was even provided a scholarship of Rs 4000 per month. But his expenses were around Rs 30,000.
“Even after joining academy and having a little financial support, I had to struggle to train. I use to survive on loans to meet the expenses. It hasn’t been easy, the Indian Para sports athletes face difficulties even in their access to training facilities therefore sponsorship is a far sighted issue.” he told ISN.
He is highly obliged to his senior Para swimmer Sukhbir Singh from Haryana, who pulled him out of Bengal to train in Haryana and has been supporting him for all his needs so far. For seven years, Prashant has been representing Haryana in Para swimming, excelling at every national meet. He has won 30 international medals for India. Ranked third in Asia, he won a bronze at the International German Swimming Championship for the disabled in June last year.
Inspiration for others
Amidst all the odds and shortcomings, what kept his passion and hope alive was his firm belief in God and his own abilities. He never let his physical disability or poverty pose a restraint to his dreams of becoming a champion swimmer. In the past 14 years swimming career, he has never looked back to the mishap or the days of struggle. He trains at Go For Sports academy in Bangalore.
“Prashant has been coaching under me since 1998. He is focussed and hard working. He never trains with a feeling that he is different or any less from the rest of the people. His presence in academy has been quite an inspiration for the rest of the swimmers. Seeing him working hard with no complaints, the rest of the swimmers naturally put in even more efforts. Also the environment he trains in along with the other international swimmers, has transformed him in past few years,” said Nihar Ameen.
Gratitude and Angst
Prashant is highly grateful to the Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who recently affirmed him a post of sub-inspector in Haryana Police. He feels even if one athlete works hard, it’s an overall support and appreciation that motivates him further.
“Haryana government has given me enough support in past few years. Even if belonging to Kolkata, in Haryana I feel at home. The West Bengal state government never appreciated or supported me by any means, and often they made statements that I’m a Haryana player, forgetting that I represent India too and the Nation comes first. It is sad that even today, there is not even a one percent reservation in government jobs for the Para athletes,” said Prashant.
“It was humiliating for all the Para swimmers during the CWG 2010 that our swimsuits which were promised to us were not provided by the government. I don’t expect that every player should be given a job, but there should be some provision for the ones who earn number of medals for the country in the international championships,” he added.
He expressed his disappointment over the indifferent attitude and treatment with the Para athletes in country in regard 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 institution, with neglect, humiliation and threats against speaking out.
“If I have to look around for a sponsor and means of earning a livelihood in order to secure my future when am I going to concentrate on my training?,” he questions.
“ I request the government that there should be some provision for the Para athletes as well. Though at the present, I appreciate the changes which the Sports Minister Ajay Maken had introduced in the sports scenario but a lot can be done which can build our country’s sports aura internationally.”
Where lies the future
A big fan of the disabled sprint runner Oscar Pistorius, Prashant received the Arjuna Award from the President on the National Sports Day in capital, which added another feather in his cap. He will resume his training in a week’s time and will prepare for the upcoming championships in the month of November and December, which are also the qualifiers for the Paralympics Games, London, 2012.
“2010-11 has been the golden period of my life; I have high hope for the coming season as well. I am not really sure of qualifying the November championship in Australia but in the December I will surely make through the qualifiers,” said Karamakar.
Prashant Karmakar, an inspiration to many, has been fighting all the adversities with guts. Be it the unfair ways of nature or the situational ironies of life, he has conquered them all. With so much of ease and a will to make the country proud, Prashant awaits an official sponsorship and scholarship to support him in his ventures and materialise his dream project of opening a world class swimming academy in Haryana.
Significant Achievements
• Won 1 Silver Medal and 1 Bronze Medal at the Asian Para Games, Guangzhou, China, 2010
• Won a Bronze Medal at the Commonwealth Games, 2010. This is India’s first ever medal in aquatics at the Commonwealth Games
• Asian record holder in 3 events – 50m Butterfly, 50m Breaststroke, 50m Backstroke
• Qualified for 2010 IPC World Swimming Championships, Eindhoven, Netherlands
• Won a Bronze Medal at International German Swimming Championships, Berlin, Germany, 2010
• Won 4 Golds, 2 Silver and 1 Bronze medals at the IWAS World Games, 2009
• Won 2 Bronze Medals at the Beijing Qualifying Championships, Berlin, Germany, 2008
• Arjuna Award 2011
• Won 2 Gold, 1 Silver, 2 Bronze Medals at the Taiwan World Games, 2007
• Won 1 Bronze Medal at Malaysia FESPIC Games, 2006
• Won 6 Gold Medals each at the 9th & 8th National Swimming Championships - 2008 & 2007
• Won 5 Gold Medals each at the 7th & 6th National Swimming Championships – 2006 & 2005.
By Akshi Aggarwal
Indian Sports News