Para Athletics: Mother’s support, grit carries Bhavani to double gold in Czech Republic Grand Prix

For a long time, para athlete Valasamgari Bhavani had to be content with a silver or a bronze both at national and international meets. And, so when this 26-year-old completed a golden double, winning the 200m first and then the 100 m (in T-46 category) on consecutive days in the very first women only World Para Athletics Grand Prix in Czech Republic on Friday, her joy knew no bounds, understandably too.

Fate has been cruel to Bhavani, who excelled in school at kho kho and kabaddi in her native village of Muthukur in Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh, when tragedy struck her in 2009. She accidentally touched an electric wire when she climbed on to a water tanker, leaving her right hand with severe damage. Her father Chandraiah (a fisherman), who tried to protect her, succumbed to the electric shock on the spot.

Left to grapple with this tragedy at the age of 10 would have demoralised anyone who was just beginning to dream of someday making it big in sports. Bhavani’s mother, Bujjamma, was a daily wage worker at a hotel and she has an elder brother who lives separately. Such family’s financial woes could have stopped any parent from encouraging their child to pursue sports, but not Bhavani’s. Bujjama backed her daughter’s ambitions against all odds.

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It took Bhavani five years to return to active sport, with her mother motivating her throughout the period after her accident. Bhavani saw a newspaper clipping about a District meet for para athletes and participated in it. That turned out to be the beginning of a new chapter in her career. 

With the AP Para Sports Association President G. Venkateshwara Rao and the general secretary V. Ramaswamy backing her indefatigable spirit to make it big in sport, this brave heart pursued her sporting career with renewed hope and vigour. Slowly and steadily, she began finishing on the podium in competitions at different levels.

“I have never won a gold even in the Nationals. So, winning two gold in the Czech Republic will stand out as truly special. Not only has the long wait ended but this has also given me hope to dream big and chase the 2028 Paralympic Games (she missed the 2024 Paris edition selections because of a knee injury,” Bhavani tells Sportstar.

“Honestly, for years I have been training day in and out daily for six hours. These two gold are the result of all that,” the champion athlete said.

“Yes, I owe everything to my coach Zaseem (at District Sports Authority in Nellore) for his mentorship and always believing in me,” says a grateful Bhavani, who herself worked part time in the packing section of a palm oil company in Nellore to make a living for some time.

“Now, we survive on the State Government pension of about Rs 6000,” she explains.

Bhavani, who completed B.Com in Aditya College (Nellore), is hopeful of getting a State Government job thanks to the new Sports Policy which offers a three per cent quota for sportspersons with outstanding achievements.

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Incidentally, her trip to Czech Republic and training for the same was possible thanks to the financial assistance of Rs. 1 lakh by an NRIs Cell.

“Last year because of the left knee injury, I couldn’t attend selections for the 2024 Paralympics. And, since I couldn’t afford to get treated in any big corporate hospital, I visited Chaitanya Hospital in Ongole where a senior doctor was kind enough to treat me,” she recalls.

Bhavani reveals that since she lost her right arm in the accident, she has to generate power and speed with the left hand bearing the brunt and her legs sharing the load too.

“It is obviously painful after every sprint. But, since my dad always wished me to be good at sports, I just try to forget about the pain and stay focussed,” she says.

Not surprisingly, when Bhavani made a video call to her mother after the first gold in the 200m, she was overcome with emotion.

“She just kept crying. She couldn’t just believe and at the same time that joy of me winning the gold was truly special for her for all the sacrifices she made for me,” recalls Bhavani. 

In fact, the para athlete was scheduled to compete in the long jump event too in Czech Republic but since the Bengaluru International meet is from July 10, Bhavani decided to skip that and return to India.

“The mission is partly accomplished. Now, the focus will be on Paralympics gold for sure and before that the Para Asiad too,” she concludes.