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Submitted by PatientsEngage on 30 September 2017

Meet National Paralympics Swimming Champion and President of the Wheelchair Basketball Federation of India, Madhavi Latha, who has been advocating sports as an empowering tool for people with disabilities.

Madhavi, tell us about your baby – ‘Yes We too Can’.

Till a few years ago, I was clueless about the benefits of sports for People with Disability (PwD). I have been affected by polio and years of not doing much physical activity has compressed my spine, affected one lung. I was to undergo even spine surgery, but luckily I escaped it by bowing to my physiotherapist’s suggestion of hydrotherapy. I think that was the best move ever. Once under water I realized that my body was doing many things - walking, stepping, etc hitherto never a possibility for me.

That was the eye-opener and I became an addicted to swimming and sports. My health started improving, I built stamina and everything was like a miracle! I started participating in competitions and I became the National Paralympics Swimmer. It dawned on me that if swimming and other sports were taken up by people with disability, the health benefits are huge.

I had decided that I will propagate sports for people with disabilities, motivate people to take up sports not just for becoming national champions but also for healthy living. I go all out to create awareness among parents, people with disabilities, Government officials and corporate houses regarding sports for people with disabilities.

Thus YWTC (Yes We Too Can) Charitable Trust came into existence to ensure that sport is taken as an empowering tool by people with disabilities.

What about ‘Wheelchair Basketball Federation of India’?

2013 saw a meeting with Choice International, a UK based not-profit organization encouraging and supporting disabled people, specifically those with physical impairments, to maintain their health, wellbeing and self-esteem by participation in sports, mainly via Wheelchair Basketball and Boccia (ball sport).

I thought it was an opportunity for channelizing the energy of a PwD, develop leadership qualities and also to build a team. Thus was born my second baby -Wheelchair Basketball Federation of India in 2014 .We brought in coaches from Nepal, Netherlands, Australia, US, UK and PwDs from different parts of India participated in the rigorous training.

It was just not sports training, but aspects of problem solving, self-evaluation, discipline, self-empowerment were built in. PwDs were treated just like any other sports person and this was welcomed by all participants and it directly had a positive impact on their self-esteem and confidence.

We worked towards U23 Wheelchair Basketball Team to participate in The International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF) Asia Oceania Zone qualifiers for World Championship, which was held in Bangkok. This is the first time that an U23 Indian team has represented in an international match!!

Indian Men’s and Women’s Basketball Team won the Bronze Medal at 4th Bali International WCBB tournament held in Bali, Indonesia from 27 to 30 July 2017. (Thanks to the Australian Consulate who supported the women’s team and the trust run with the contributions of the staff of Standard Chartered Global Business Services Pvt Ltd for supporting men’s team). It is the first medal in international arena. I know we still have a long way to go!

Wow, very inspiring Madhavi, I am sure the journey so far was not easy.

Lots of struggles, even sports wheelchairs are not available in India. We need to import them but they are meant for wooden flooring and India has very few of them. We need manufacturers in India to take up building these special wheelchairs. We may not have swimming pools in rural parts of India but we can find a basketball court in every town, school and college.

Our stadia have to be made accessible. Government can encourage us by the way of creating accessible infrastructure. All we need is accessible toilets and stadia. This will open millions of opportunities.

Have you approached Sports Authority of India?

Yes, they are very supportive. When we had our National Championship in Delhi, they provided their stadium without charging any fee. As per their norms, we can apply for their affiliation after completing 3 years for our Organization to get more support from them.

Madhavi, share with us some Eureka moments?

When I look back, I feel proud of the difference a sport is making for a PwD. We have been successful in working with Government and get orders passed. Thus, we have equal cash incentives for winners on par with any other sports person, a completely accessible swimming pool being built in Chennai.

Any learning you want to share…

The community has been very supportive and they are supporting genuine causes. I am satisfied with the way sports has changed the lives of PwDs. It gives me an immeasurable pleasure when I see all this happening.

Your ambition…

The field is like an ocean and I have done a drop, before I leave this world I want to do lots more. Let’s see…

(This article has been republished here in arrangement with Connect Special, a digital magazine, which provides solutions for challenges faced by people with disability.)