Help Niranjan Mukundan qualify for 2014 Asian Para Games

Update: Thank you all for your kind contribution towards Niranjan’s sporting journey. Your support has enabled us to raise the amount required for him to travel to Berlin and take part in the German Open Swimming Championships in April. Niranjan is training to achieve peak fitness, and will push hard to qualify for the Asian Games in September, 2014.

Please follow GoSports Foundation on Facebook and Twitter, and we shall keep you updated regarding Niranjan’s progress!

On a typically cool Bangalore evening, if you happen to be at the PM Swimming Centre in Jayanagar, chances are that you will notice two things – the dedication of all the swimmers training there, and the enthusiasm of a certain 19-year-old Bangalore boy who, more often than not, is the “life of the party”!

Meet Niranjan Mukundan – one of India’s most promising para-swimmers. The 18-year-old Niranjan is a fighter. Born with a medical condition called Spina bifida and with clubbed feet, he has undergone as many as sixteen surgeries already. But these obstacles have never deterred this young swimmer from going out all guns blazing in the pool.

Extremely passionate about swimming, Niranjan has a great take on life. The ever-smiling Bangalore boy specializes in 100m butterfly, and also loves racing the 50m and 100m freestyle events. He trains with fellow GoSports Foundation Scholar and London 2012 Paralympian Sharath Gayakwad, under Coach John Christopher.

The GoSports Foundation has been supporting Nirnajan’s Olympic dream since the beginning of 2013. His travel and tournament expenses, swimming racing suits and nutritional supplements have been taken care of by the foundation. The financial assistance has helped Niranjan participate in two international competitions – the British Open Para-Swimming Championships in Sheffield, UK, and the IWAS World Junior Games in Puerto Rico.

“I’m extremely happy with the support I’m getting from GoSports Foundation. The monetary support has helped me bear the expenses for both the international meets in Britain and Puerto Rico, and I have been able to focus completely on my training and performances, without having to worry about my finances. The support from the GoSports Team has also been fantastic. The GoSports Foundation Athletes’ Conclave was the highlight of the year – I got to meet legends like Abhinav Bindra and Pullela Gopichand, and listening to their speeches has inspired me to strive towards excellence!”

Niranjan now has his sights set on qualifying for the 2014 Asian Para Games in Incheon, South Korea. He hopes to qualify for the Asian Para Games by meeting the qualifying mark at the IDM German Swimming Championships in April 2014. A summary of his estimated travel expenses to participate at the IDM German Swimming Championships is as below:

Sr. No.	Travel Expenses	Cost in INR
1	Air FareBangalore – Berlin – Bangalore	55,000
Total Expenses		55,000

Here’s an opportunity for you to make a difference in the life of Niranjan. Support him and help him win more laurels for our country. Who knows, your support today might help Niranjan win a medal for India at Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020! Sportskeeda is undertaking this crowdfunding drive in association with GoSports Foundation. You can learn more about this initiative here: Empower India’s Future Olympians

So what are you waiting for? Join the GoSports Foundation Sporting Revolution today!