Comeback stories are usually fascinating. Each of the panellists in RevSportz’s Trailblazers 3.0 Conclave on Saturday had inspiring stories to tell. The session, moderated by RevSportz COO Sharmishtha Gooptu and Rohan Chowdhury, was aptly named – Comeback Stories.
Take the case of Mona Agarwal, a Paralympic medallist in shooting. She had to brave family pressure and serious financial odds to even pursue her sport, let alone winning a medal.
“I come from a basic family where dreaming big was not allowed,” she said. “I started my sporting career in 2016. I was looking for a sport where I can perform. Started with athletics then powerlifting and then para-volleyball. Nothing worked. Then, due to family pressure, I had to marry. After the birth of my second child, my real comeback story started. I started shooting in December 2021. Now I’m sitting here as a Paralympic medallist.”
After the birth of her second child, Mona’s husband met with an accident. The family struggled to make ends meet. But Mona was determined to continue with her sport. At the Paralympics, she couldn’t afford to fail. “Life changed after I won the medal.”
Nikhat Zareen, a gold medal winner in women’s boxing at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, faced a setback at the Paris Olympics last year. “I always faced ups and downs. I always came back and won medals for my country. I was expecting a medal in Paris. That was the ultimate dream. But sometimes it’s not just hard work. Luck should be in your favour as well. Because of my seeding, I got a draw where I faced the world number one in the quarterfinal. I lost, but I will come back from this. But the Paris Olympics has taught me not to expect anything from anyone.”
Anju Bobby George, who made history by becoming the first Indian athlete ever to win a medal at the World Athletics Championships, came to know that she had just one kidney just months before the 2003 event in Paris, where she jumped 6.70 metres. “I went to a doctor in Germany and I was told to go back home. I was back on the track instead and won the medal.”
Suhas Yathiraj, an IAS and a silver medallist in para-badminton at the Tokyo Paralympics, said: “I lost a qualifying tournament before the Tokyo Games and had to win gold medals in Brazil and Peru, the last two qualifying events, to qualify for the Paralympics. I won gold in Brazil and Peru and went on to win a silver in Tokyo. From a 39th ranked player, I became the World No. 1.”
Chess Olympiad gold medallist Tania Sachdev spoke about the human resilience and comeback after IBM’s Deep Blue’s triumph over the legendary Garry Kasparov in 1997. “These days, instead of fighting against the AI, humans use strong computer engines to prepare,” she said.
Former archer and current IOA executive committee member Dola Banerjee said: “An athlete’s life is about comebacks. Being mentally strong is the key.”