“Being born with a disability is God’s decision, to treat it like one is yours” – this particular statement has been Bharat Kumar’s motto for success in life. The 27-year-old’s name might not be familiar among Indian households, but his achievements put him squarely among the country’s sporting elite.
Once a Para-Athletics World Championship silver medallist, Bharat now washes cars at the Najafagarh junction in Delhi, attempting to garner funds for a potential Asian Games visit in 2018.
The town that gave birth to Virender Sehwag also houses one of India’s most successful Para-athletes. However, Bharat’s journey is far removed from the glitzy lights of packed cricket stadiums.
Born in Jajjar, Haryana to labourer parents, funds were always difficult to come by. That is why, sports with a high accessibility rate such as cricket were never an option. While studying at the Government School in Dwarka, Bharat was first exposed to athletics.
Humble beginnings
Speaking exclusively to Sportskeeda, Bharat says, “I really wanted to play sports, I wanted to tell people that even though I don’t have one arm, I can easily win medals on a regular basis. The first 100m run I took part in, I defeated everyone.
“My brother then told me to take this more seriously. So I started running regularly. But then I also really wanted to use my other arm in some sport. Hence, I took up short put also. Ever since then I have been running 100m, 400m and participating in the shot put.”
In 2004, Bharat was spotted by Sports Authority of India (SAI) Coaches, and was asked to trial at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Delhi. He immediately impressed, finishing top of the qualifying charts and securing a training stint with the body.
After winning back-to-back National Championships in both track and field events, Bharat was called up by the Indian para-athletics squad to represent India at the World Championship in Dublin, Ireland. It was at this point that he announced himself to the world.
The initial days saw Bharat and the 4x100m relay team disqualified for crossing tracks, after securing gold in the event. He adds, “We were disqualified and this hurt me a lot and it showed in my 400m performance, where I finished 4th. But I had to get my act together.”
A prolific performance in the shot put saw Bharat win India’s first silver medal in the 2006 edition. He won next year’s 100m national Championship as well to secure a spot at the 2007 World Championship, but unfortunately an injury destroyed his dream of back-to-back World Championship medals.
Survived on food from Gurudwara, sustained my career thanks to friends: Bharat
Bharat attended two more World Championships before a heel injury prompted him to quit the sport. He says, “My entire career was based on the concept of ‘jugaad,’ for my training equipment I used to ask my friends for Rs 100 each. For my food I used to eat at the local Gurudwara langar so that I would save money on that.
“But when the operation came up, I had no other option but to reside to my faith. The cost was close to Rs 2 lakh, which my family couldn’t afford. I asked my friends and well-wishers and they also couldn’t come up with the money. So at that point I decided to quit athletics.”
But as the saying goes, ‘Once a sportsperson, always a sportsperson’. Unable to compete in athletics events due to a dilapidated heel, Bharat found new refuge in swimming. You can't help but wonder how someone could learn to swim with one hand, and the story behind it is really intriguing.
Bharat adds, “I was actually forced to learn swimming by my brother. I had three buffaloes which had to be given a bath in our local canal between Ghaziabad and Vaishali. Hence, in an attempt to learn swimming, I just jumped into the canal. To balance myself, I used to use the buffaloes in the beginning, but as I started doing it every day, I got better and better.”
After initially practising in the canal, he started training at the Talkatora stadium in Delhi. Within a year of picking up the sport, he won a bronze at the Nationals in the 50m breaststroke event. This particular victory highlighted the will, determination and adaptability of a person who wouldn’t take no for an answer.
Bharat was then spotted by Karnal-based swimming Coach Kamaljeet Singh Sadhu, who took him under his wing. He says, “I learned a lot there, but it was very difficult for me financially there because I had a strict diet and a proper training regime. Hence, I had to eat at a Gurudwara 3-4 times a day and had to pay Rs. 800 – Rs. 900 for room rent, which I didn’t have. So there were days where I lived there also.”
Every train journey he takes is spent in the toilet, as he cannot afford a train ticket. In late 2015, Bharat had a kidney infection and didn’t have any money left for the treatment. Looking around for jobs, one of his friends told him that there was a vacancy for cleaning cars in a garage.
Bharat took up the job in no time. He says, “Trust me, no one helped me out. I’m a huge Shah Rukh Khan fan and after applying my jugaad one day I met him. I gave him my sponsorship letter telling him my plight. He promised he would help, but he didn’t. All I need is money to cover my training and I will definitely win medals for India again.”
With no financial option in sight, he was forced to write a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi about his horrid condition. However, he is yet to garner a response
A case of unnecessary media exaggeration
In a final ditch attempt to attract sponsors, Bharat approached the media. Despite his story being circulated all over social media, there was hardly any assistance forthcoming. In fact, he claims that certain publications completely changed his story to garner clicks.
He says, “When I read some of the links online I was shocked. It stated over there that I had won over 50 medals on the national and international level, whereas I haven’t.” Some reputed dailies kept emphasising on the word ‘poverty,’ and also stated that he had learned swimming in 2004, which was clearly not the case.
The media houses cooked up close to six years of Bharat’s life by saying he was deprived of facilities and finances, so that the story would look more dramatic.
Bharat adds, “I called up the publication and asked them what rubbish was this, they said they didn’t know about the issue at all, and that they got it from somewhere else. Before your interview, I have only given interviews to five people, I don’t how 50 different articles have been given in my name.
“In fact, one day a friend of mine who is a top-level para-swimmer and competes at the international level called me and told me that I was spreading lies to get media friendly. I had to tell him that the media sensationalised the story, so that people would click more.”
Wrong statistics, such as a gold medal at an international event and fake quotes like “I have always been in poverty,” form part of almost every article you get when you search for Bharat Kumar’s name. People have begun identifying him as a fraud, when all he wants to do is raise funds to fulfil his dream.
Bharat now receives Rs 10,000 from well-wishers in Bengaluru and Delhi, apart from the money he earns from washing cars. Unfulfilled promises and hidden agendas have hindered one of India’s most successful para-athletes in his attempt to become the best again.
India might win the World T20 Cup this week, which would be a great achievement. But until other sporting heroes are given their due, the country will never have a sustainable, systematic and democratic sports ecosystem.
