Big achiever, yet forsaken by the system: The story of Deaflympics double gold medalist, Telangana’s Dhanush Srikanth

A product of London Olympics bronze medallist Gagan Narang, this gifted shooter defied all odds as did his parents in pursuing his passion for the sport and more importantly performing consistently

HYDERABAD: The long wait continues!

What more big achievers like shooter Dhanush Srikanth have still to do to get the recognition from the authorities which is long due for them?

---

Well, this might be the thinking of the likes of Dhanush and their parents as they still await any formal announcements of incentives.

For the record, the 22-year-old, hearing-impaired Dhanush is a double gold medallist in the 2021 Deaflympics and also a gold medalist in the ISSF World Cup (regular) events.

A product of London Olympics bronze medallist Gagan Narang, this gifted shooter defied all odds as did his parents in pursuing his passion for the sport and more importantly performing consistently.

Ever since he made his debut in the 2018 Telangana State Championship, winning three gold medals in the junior, youth and senior categories and soon winning another three gold in 10-m air rifle events in the Asian championship, Dhanush has clearly signalled his arrival on the big stage.

Yet, for Dhanush, even as the medals have been coming thick and fast at the highest level, but not so with regard to incentives.

Ironically, the authorities are generous in giving cash incentives and house sites to a select, lucky few. While nobody questions the actual beneficiaries’ credentials, there is always a question mark as to why the likes of Dhanush, to mention one such example, get the raw deal?

It can be a simple case of the powers-that-be being completely unaware of the credentials of some of the big achievers in the world of sports or there were other factors – the most important being pulling the right strings in the higher-ups – to get the benefits.

Even when there was a clear-cut Sports Policy which defines the kind of cash incentives a performing athlete deserves, it is rarely followed in practice. Most often, even the big achievers are made to feel less-privileged.

Dhanush’s mother Asha Srikanth was almost vexed at the “indifference” when she made some efforts to see that Dhanush got some incentives. But, in vain. She said that every time her son came back with medals, the routine for her family was to run around the corridors of power seeking these incentives.

Dhanush, a first-year degree student (distance education), is struggling at the most crucial phase of his career while targeting a medal in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Just imagine how things could have been worse but for Gagan Narang’s support system!