June 20 (ANI): Berlin [Germany]:Coach Sandeep Kumar’s sole concern about Special Olympics Bharat athlete Gajendra is that he answers in monosyllables when not chatting to his pals. On Day 1 of the Special Olympics Summer Games, the 19-year-old shotputter and runner was among the first Indians in the track and field events at the Hanns-Braun-Stadion in Olympiapark.
Gajendra grew up in Jahanabad, Bihar, in an Army household surrounded by families that worked hard to make ends meet. His father resigned willingly about a decade ago in order to spend more time with his son. There were no schools in the area that had the capability or training to work with children with his weak cognitive ability and limited linguistic abilities. As a result, the family relocated Gajendra to Samarpan Special School in Patna, which is affiliated with the Special Olympics Bharat initiative.
Sandeep, a former para-gymnast who represented India at the Asian Para Games in 2010, is the Area Director for Bihar, and he saw Gajendra early on, owing to how his physique concealed his underlying shyness and inability to communicate socially.
“At first, I asked him to come to my academy every day, and we’d just run together, sometimes for an hour, sometimes for longer,” Sandeep adds. “It was just running, but while running, I would talk to him, and slowly, he would talk to me.”Initially, gymnastics replaced the running, and then, recognising Gajendra’s innate strength and predilection for strength-based sports, Sandeep taught him the fundamentals of shot-put while simultaneously encouraging him to perform what came naturally to him.
Even now, Gajendra’s technique distinguishes him from the competition. In the sunshine at the Hanns-Braun-Stadion, practically all of the other athletes turned and faced the mark, gaining momentum by rocking back and forth before firing the shot into the air. Gajendra moves away from the target, his back to the launching area, cradling his shot in the crook of his neck until the last second, when he turns and swivels with a sharp jerk to put it in play.
Then, as if on cue, he smiles for the cameras, flashing a ‘V’ for good measure. The monosyllables may continue, but his shyness vanishes on the pitch, which everyone is quick to point out when asked about him.
“I’ve been looking forward to coming to Berlin for a few months,” he says. “I wanted to see what everyone was talking about for these World Games, and so far, I can see why everyone was so excited about it.”He walks back to his buddies in the athletics contingent, having used up his quota of words for strangers, and almost immediately engages in laughter and high-fives with them.
“Playing sport, just discovering his body’s capabilities has helped him really come out of a shell,” Sandeep says. “He used to be incredibly uncommunicative, but now he even coaches the younger children who are just starting out in gymnastics at the academy and gives advice to people who come there for fitness.” It’s a full transformation. That is, in fact, the purpose of the movement.”(ANI)
