God forbid if you were confined to a wheelchair from the age of 4, sports would hardly be the thing on your list of chores. But then that is what separates winners from quitters and H Boniface Prabhu is definitely a winner.
Who is this man? Well his name would hardly ring a bell to the average sports fan, but he has represented the country in multiple wheelchair sports.?
The Better India
Prabhu was born just like any other child before tragedy struck at the age of 4. A blotched lumbar puncture made him a quadriplegic for life. But here credit goes to his parents as they did not treat him any different and sent him to the same institutions that normal kids attended. Not that his condition was anything abnormal.
His interest in sports grew as a result and he soon began to specialise in wheelchair sports, his main one being tennis. But he was just as good in? athletics, shot put, badminton, javelin throw, table tennis, shooting and discus throw. He has represented India in at International events, in six disciplines, over 50 times.
The Hindu
The highlight of his career was certainly the 1996 Wheelchair Games, where he won gold in shot put and silver in discus throw. It was here that he developed a liking towards wheelchair tennis.
Inspired by Ivan Lendl and John McEnroe, he approached the Karnataka State Lawn Tennis Association and began training. By 1998 he was taking part in competitions. With a best singles ranking of 17 and 19 in doubles, Prabhu has certainly done his bit for the sport. His contributions earned him the Padma Shri in 2014. He is clearly an inspiration for para-athletes.?
He took up the cause for others like him with with ThumbsUp by driving 3,500 km from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. No quadriplegic athlete had done that before. The Boniface Prabhu Wheelchair Tennis Academy started by him is to train others and hone in their talent.
Prabhu never gave up despite all odds. Yet another proof that where there is a will, there is a way.?