When Nikhil Gupta took a plunge into a swimming pool in Bangalore in 2008, his whole life turned upside down. A software engineer then, Gupta injured his C5-C6 vertebrae as he went head first on the surface rendering him a quadriplegic, a medical state resulting in partial or total loss of the use of all four limbs
When Nikhil Gupta took a plunge into a swimming pool in Bangalore in 2008, his whole life turned upside down. A software engineer then, Gupta injured his C5-C6 vertebrae as he went head first on the surface rendering him a quadriplegic, a medical state resulting in partial or total loss of the use of all four limbs.
Gupta, aided by an attendant in the aftermath for a few years, almost gave up on life, until he came across a documentary—More Than Walking by an American filmmaker Jonathan Sigworth—himself, a quadriplegic.
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An enthused Gupta contacted Sigworth, an initiative that proved to be a turning point in his life. For, it was at this juncture Gupta was introduced to Wheelchair Rugby. And eight years down the line, Gupta is now captaining the Indian Wheelchair Rugby team that will participate in the The Association For International Sport for All (TAFISA) International Wheelchair Rugby Cup beginning in Jakarta from today. It also marks India's first ever competitive tournament.
For Gupta and several other quadriplegics in the country, Sigworth is worth his weight in gold. "Jonathan is an inspiration to me and all other quadriplegics in India. The reason so many like us in India are independent, is because of him. He is the main hand behind Wheelchair Rugby being introduced in India," said Gupta.
Before he turned a mentor for Gupta, Sigworth had undergone an ordeal himself. In 2006, Sigworth fell 70 feet off a cliff while riding a bicycle on his way to class in Mussoorie. He returned to the US after being operated in New Delhi. While in the US, he learnt the techniques to live a fully independent life despite being a quadriplegic.
Sigworth came to India again and shared his knowledge at the Indian Spinal Injuries Centre (ISIC) in Delhi to other patients as well as the physiotherapists, while also introducing the sport which has since been part of the rehabilitation programme. Sigworth and Gupta, then in 2013, started the Empowering Spinal Cord Injured Persons (ESCIP) trust in India which helps quadriplegics become independent and also promote Wheelchair Rugby in India.
Since then, Gupta, who also works as a Senior Quality Assurance Engineer at Oracle, has taken the proverbial baton from Sigworth, and after receiving official training with regards to the game of 2014 in South Korea, helped organise camps across Delhi, Mohali, Mumbai and Patna. Currently, the sport is played by 100 active members across eight cities.
The team which will represent India in Indonesia also comprises of Riya Gupta Nurudin Saifi and Manish Saini (New Delhi), Pawan Sharma and Pranav Soorma (Haryana), Adil Ansari (Mumbai) and Bhushan Goplani (Pune).
Gupta believes the game has changed his as well as his teammates' life. "Everyone's life has changed because everyone was bedridden earlier. Then they came to know about the techniques and now everybody can work too, so it is truly life-changing," he said.
With its first-ever competitive tournament coupled with the recognition from the Indian Rugby Football Union (IRFU), Gupta believes it is a starting step to something great. "Getting recognition from Rugby India will give us a channel to build upon. Our aim is the next Asian Para games in 2018. We need to do well there. And of course participating in the Paralympics in the future would be terrific too," Gupta explained.
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