Coming from a modest farming background in Gurazala of the present Palnadu district to captaining the Indian Blind Cricket team in three World Cups to victory, to being one of the 26 sportspersons in the country to have been selected for the Arjuna Award, I. Ajay Kumar Reddy has come a long way.
Having lost his sight in the left eye at the age of 4 in a freak incident, the cricketer, also working in the banking sector, has climbed an arduous way to the top. However, he refuses to be defined by his struggles.
“I was too young then to understand what happened to me, but I remember how relatives and neighbours talked about me. They told my parents that there was no future for me. I continued studying in a nearby school until Class VI, where reading letters on the board became difficult. It was then that my parents left Gurazala for Narasaraopeta to admit me to a residential school for the blind. At first, my parents, who knew nothing other than farming, started selling tea and later set up an idli/dosa stall. I used to help them with washing dishes whenever I had time,” the cricketer, who now lives in Bangalore, told The Hindu.
The passion for cricket began in 2002. “I was very determined to play for the Indian team. I used to play with my seniors, who happened to be district and State level players, on the school premises. I struggled a lot in the beginning, suffered a fracture too, but never gave up on cricket,” says Mr. Reddy, now a captain and a B2 (partially blind) player in the Indian team.
The cricketer, while extending his gratitude to the government for recognising his talent, however, laments that not enough is being done for the visually impaired sportspersons in the country. Neither do they have enough sponsors nor are they given sufficient financial aid, he adds. “In 10 years, from 2012 to 2022, we have won five World Cups, devoid of any recognition. Today, a player who takes part in a match at an international level gets only ₹3,000; quality shoes alone cost ₹25,000, and a cricket bat ₹40,000. We also have families to run, how can anyone think ₹3,000 is enough,” he enquires, urging the government and The Board of Control for Cricket in India to treat them at par with other cricketers.
“People should understand that we also bring laurels to our country, and we also wave the same Indian flag on foreign grounds. We do not want sympathy. We want recognition and respect,” he says, demanding that the visually impaired players be given jobs and pensions after they retire. There are a few players in the Indian team who do not have proper jobs even after playing for the country in international matches, he adds.
Cricket Association for the Blind in India Chairperson G.K. Mahantesh said it was the first time that someone from the Indian Blind Cricket team has been selected for the Arjuna Award. “At present, we have around 25,000 visually impaired players in the country, men and women combined, in the district, State, national, and international level. Sadly, their efforts are not recognised enough,” Mr. Mahantesh said.
Mr. Reddy, who has issues with vision in the right eye too, says he is determined to work toward improving facilities for the differently-abled sportspersons in the country. “Even if my vision fails in the other eye, I will continue playing for the team and raising issues that need to be highlighted,” he concludes, extending his gratitude to the banking staff for all their support.
The awards will be conferred on the sportspersons by President Droupadi Murmu in January 2024.
