Bhavani overcomes adversity to win gold at World Para Athletics

Bhavani, who lost her right arm in an accident, won a ‘golden double’ at the inaugural Women's World Para Athletics meet in Czech Republic. Her journey is a story of perseverance and dedication

Hyderabad: All seemed to be heading towards a dead-end, both in life and sport! When Valasamgari Bhavani was 10, tragedy struck as she lost her right arm after accidentally contacting an electrical wire in 2009. To make matters worse, her father, Chandraiah (a fisherman), met a tragic end while trying to protect her during that unfortunate incident, at the same spot, in 2009.

But Bhavani displayed an indefatigable spirit and embarked on a path to sporting excellence. She was first spotted by Sk. Zaseem, SAAP coach at the Nellore District Sports Authority, who treated her as his “own daughter for the last seven years.” The rest is turning out to be one of those dream stories of a dedicated coach and a determined athlete, defying all odds.

---

For the record, 26-year-old Bhavani completed a ‘golden double’ on Friday in the 100m and 200m events in the T-46 category at the inaugural Women’s World Para Athletics meet in the Czech Republic.

“The moment she came to me with only her left hand, I was in awe of her amazing spirit. She had no sports background, was very raw, but what stunned me was her self-interest and motivation,” the 44-year-old Zaseem informed Telangana Today in a chat.

“It was a huge challenge for me, for sure. So, I first made Bhavani train with the other 50-odd trainees, including three other para athletes. She was just amazing in training, always trying to improve,” recalls the proud coach, who also worked earlier at Gymkhana Ground in the City.

“Because Bhavani had speed, initially clocking 23 seconds in the 100m, I decided to let her focus on that,” he said.

To the delight of the coach, just after the pandemic, without any rigorous training, Bhavani took part in her maiden Para Nationals in Bengaluru and won three medals.

“That was a huge morale-booster for her, and she never really looked back, winning medals at every major meet,” Zaseem said.

“In view of her poor financial situation, I had to follow up with the SAAP to get Rs. 1 lakh sanctioned for training, reminding them that she would be a future international medallist,” the coach said.

For her part, the 26-year-old Bhavani informed Telangana Today from the Czech Republic that whatever she achieved was because of Zaseem sir. “His mentorship and belief in me motivated me a lot,” said the grateful athlete, who 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 6,000,” said the B.Com graduate from Aditya College in Nellore.

Incidentally, Bhavani’s trip to the Czech Republic and the training before that was made possible thanks to the financial assistance of Rs. 1 lakh from the NRIs Cell.

“It is obviously painful after every sprint. But since my dad always wished me to be good at sports, I just try to forget the pain and stay focused, as I am determined to do really well in sports,” Bhavani said.

When her proud mother, Bujjamma, was in tears after Bhavani made a video call to her from the Czech Republic, after winning two golds, it was an emotional expression of joy, struggle, and happy results.

“Now, my goal is to win medals in the Para Asiad and the next Paralympics,” signed off a confident Bhavani.