Amidst the sound of athletes screaming in ecstasy after completing their individual races, there was an individual on a wheelchair that stood out, mainly due to his canary yellow tee that had Rio 2016 imprinted on it
M Srinivasa Rao
Wheelchair badminton Arjuna awardee M Srinivasa Rao. Pic/Noel DSOUZA
Amidst the sound of athletes screaming in ecstasy after completing their individual races, there was an individual on a wheelchair that stood out, mainly due to his canary yellow tee that had Rio 2016 imprinted on it.
ADVERTISEMENT
Meet 65-year-old M Srinivasa Rao, an Arjuna awardee in wheelchair badminton. Rao came all the way from Karimnagar in Telangana for the Mumbai Marathon (specially disabled race). He is also a managing committee member of the Paralympics Committee of India.
"I went to Rio, but not to play. I went to observe how the sequence of events were unfolding, what is the standard of playing, coaching, how many hours athletes practice because we too want to qualify for 2020 Tokyo Paralympics in wheelchair badminton," Rao, who lost his legs at birth, told mid-day.
So what keeps him motivated to feature in all the marathons India has hosted?
"My motivation is to be healthy. I also want the lazy people, most importantly the youth, to come out and run.
"They should stand on their feet and work," Rao, who will next feature in the 10km Bengaluru marathon in May, added.
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
