Paralysed Ankur Das fighting against odds to win rifle shooting medal

Kolkata, June 30: His spine was damaged when he was only three years old. He was taken to Vellore hospital. Still his spine that had started turning like a rainbow could not be cured.

After it had curved almost 72 per cent, the doctors at Vellore hospital opted for operation and after a painstaking 18-hour operation the lower portion of Ankur Das' body had completely paralysed.

The 13-year old boy, who lives in a place named Behala in the southern part of Kolkata, did not give up. The doctors in Vellore had suggested Ankur to join any wheelchair sport and after returning to Kolkata, he started rifle shooting at Olympian Joydeep Karmakar's shooting academy in Kolkata. It was around November last year.

Joydeep, commenting on his student said, "Ankur has one key quality that his determination is tremendous. I am sure he will ensure berth in the national team one day and represent in the Paralympics."

Ankur's father, Debashis Das also had the same notion as he said, “Ankur has huge mental strength. He did not even weep after 18-hour scrupulous operation. Even, after he came to know that his lower portion was paralysed, I have not seen Ankur getting frustrated ever."

Ankur, after having begun shooting in November last year, has won a gold medal already in one of the biggest invitation tournaments that take place in Kolkata. Now Ankur is scoring 375 points out of 400 in the training every day. Joydeep said, "His score might increase more rapidly as his concentration level becomes superb all the time."

Ankur dreams of only one man. He is Gagan Narang. Ankur said, "I went to watch national shooting championships last season in Pune along with my father. There I got good wishes from Gagan Narang. He also agreed to pose for a photograph with me. I could not believe it. My dream is to don India shirts and bring medals from Para-Olympics as Gagan Narang has brought medals from London Olympics."

OneIndia News