CITY-BASED SHUTTLER, SHOOTER MAKE IT TO SUMMER DEAFLYMPICS

19.07.2017, Pune lassies Gauravi Wamburkar and Priyesha Deshmukh are representing India at the 23rd Summer Deaflympics in Samsun, Turkey, which kicked off on Tuesday. Both hearing-impaired athletes made it to the games after creating a space for themselves in the national circuit in their respective disciplines.

Gauravi, an India No. 2 shuttler, made a comeback after recovering from a knee injury, which had kept her out of action for two years in 2015- 16. After her rehabilitation, she started training at the Nikhil Kanetkar Badminton Academy (NKBA) in Balewadi, which is run by former Olympian Nikhil Kanetkar. The 20-year-old made the cut after she won two gold (women’s doubles and mixed doubles) and a silver in the singles category at the 21st National Games for the deaf in Chennai in April this year. This will be her second successive participation in the quadrennial event.

In 2013, at the 22nd Summer Deaflympics Sofia, Bulgaria, the Brihan Maharashtra College of Commerce (BMCC) student had reached the quarterfinals.

“She has always been a focused player. I would not call her game very attacking but she is a fighter and never gives up. Her game is good, so she will fight her way through,” said NKBA director and coach Kanetkar. “She was struggling with her fitness levels when she left for the training camp in Ahmedabad last month. Of what I heard last she was practicing aggressively, so let’s hope for the best,” he added.

After winning accolades at the national level, Priyesha’s her first big break came after she won a bronze medal in the 1st World Deaf Shooting Championships in Kazan, Russia, in September last year. The 23-year old scored 180.4 in the finals to secure the third spot in the 10m air rifle category. The achievement got a lot of attention as it came from a shooter who took up the sport just four years ago. A student of international shooter Anjali Bhagwat, Priyesha never let her disabilities obstruct her way.

“It is very tough to train Priyesha since she has Dyslexia and Dyscalculia. But looking at her dedication we all feel very motivated. She reached her spot with a lot of hard work and no support from All India Sports Council of the Deaf (AISCD), the body that looks after the affairs for the deaf athletes. Thankfully Sports Authority of India (SAI) has been very supportive and allowed her to return to Pune and train after the qualification in Delhi,” informed coach Bhagwat, who trains Priyesha at Balewadi shooting ranges.

“Her dad has been very supportive and never interferes in the training schedule. Since she lost her mother, her father ensures that he travels with her at his own expense with no support from any authorities. In Delhi, Priyesha scored 414 to qualify, a score which is on a par with any international shooter. Let us hope she shoots well and wins a medal for India and makes us all proud,” Bhagwat added.