Meet Suhas LY, The Specially-abled IAS Officer Who Will Represent India In Tokyo Paralympics 2020
Coming to terms with physical shortcomings is often a challenge for a differently-abled person. Noida District Magistrate and para-badminton player Suhas L Yathiraj, who bagged the gold at BWF Asian Para-Badminton Championship in Beijing in 2016, never let that affect him. Suhas LY¡¯s success mantra is: ¡°Follow your heart as disability lives in the mind¡°.
And this time IAS Suhas LY, currently world number two in Men's Singles Para-Badminton, is ready for another gold for the country at the big event at Tokyo Paralympic Games.
The Paralympics is going on in Tokyo from August 24 to September 5 and India will start its campaign from August 27. There are 54 para-athletes representing the country in seven sporting events, including archery and badminton.
In badminton, Suhas LY is the only state administrator across the country who was selected to perform at the international event. He was selected by the Badminton World Federation (BWF) for the Paralympic Games along with three others.
An IAS officer and a badminton champion, Suhas LY has not let his disability prevent him from following his dreams and his story is a motivation for the younger generation.
About Suhas Lalinakere Yathiraj (Suhas LY)
Suhas LY hails from Karnataka. Suhas Lalinakere Yathiraj ever backed down in the face of adversity. Suhas¡¯s father was a government servant, Suhas had completed his early education in different cities due to his father¡¯s postings at different places. He did most of his secondary education in DVS independent college Shivamogga, Karnataka. Suhas LY graduated from National Institute of Technology, Surathkal, Karnataka in Computer Science and Engineering branch in 2004 by scoring First class with Distinction.
After doing computer engineering for a year, Suhas felt that there was something missing in his life. It was then that his inclination towards civil services grew and he started preparing to appear for the UPSC exam. In an exclusive interview with ANI, Gautam Buddha Nagar (Noida) DM LY Suhas spoke about his life and his motivational journey.
"I want to thank God for this because when I used to study I didn't even think of becoming a district collector. It was a dream come true, then I got the opportunity to participate in civil service also," said Suhas.
37-years-old Suhas LY became India¡¯s first specially-abled IAS officer when he cleared a 2007-batch IAS officer of the UP cadre. IAS Officer Suhas LY started his bureaucratic career from Agra and currently, he was posted as the Noida district magistrate in March last year, when Covid numbers had started to rise.
IAS officer Suhas is married to Ritu Suhas, who got selected as Mrs. U.P in Mrs. India 2019 contest a PCS officer currently posted as Additional Municipal Commissioner in Allahabad. IAS officer Suhas's wife has been awarded for excellent work in voter awareness in general elections.
Becoming a world Para-Badminton champion
At the 2016 Asian Para-Badminton Championships, Beijing, China, Suhas LY became the first Indian bureaucrat to win a professional International Badminton Championship. Suhas won gold by beating Hary Susanto of Indonesia in the finals when he was serving as District Magistrate of Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh. IAS officer Suhas LY came to International attention when he won gold and became the first-ever serving Indian bureaucrat to represent and win a medal for India at the global level.
The last international tournaments that he played were the Brazil Open in January 2019 and the Peru Open in February 2019, winning gold in both. These were qualifiers for the Paralympics.
Suhas LY was rewarded for his excellence
In December 2016, Suhas became the recipient of Uttar Pradesh's highest civilian honour, the Yash Bharti, which he received on December 1, 2016, by the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. On December 3, World Disabilities Day, he received an award from the state government for his performances in para-sports.
After winning a gold medal in the different international tournaments, IAS officer Suhas LY is the biggest hope for a gold medal at the 2021 Tokyo Paralympics. For sure, the blessings of 1.3 billion people and his hard work is sure to make every Indian proud on a big stage.
