Switch in sport made his dream come true

Para athlete D Jagannathan wasn’t certainly out of depth during his swimming days. But an interaction with WBFI President Madhavi Latha in 2014 spurred him to make a life-changing switch to wheelchair basketball.

The Chennai player, who was never called up by the Para Swimming Federation of India for national duty, has already represented India twice in basketball and is on the crest of a wave in his fraternity. “Madhavi introduced me to the sport, I was interested in it from the word go. She has been very supportive right from the start of this journey,” Jagannathan tells DT Next.

The 29-year-old kept his nose to the grindstone all these years and as a result of it, he was rewarded with a ticket to Indonesia and Thailand, his first two international assignments. Just a mere mention of the twin outings during our conversation was enough for him to get overjoyed.

“It was really good, I can’t express it in words. While I was a swimmer, I didn’t get this kind of exposure. Playing for the badge is a different feeling, not many get to do that. As you know, the players arefiltered after Nationals and only the best make it to the India squad,” he spoke of his experience overseas.  

Jagannathan was affected by polio at the age of one and hasn’t been able to walk since then. After experiencing nightmares for long periods of time, the Flex employee is enjoying his new lease of life, thanks to sports. “Until second year in college, I never used to go out alone. I now have the belief and confidence that I can get things done without others’ help. I even travel to different parts of India on my own.”

The India international, who supports Golden State Warriors in the NBA, is thankful to his first employer for helping him accomplish his dream of playing for the country. “When I have tournaments or camps, I just inform my heads about them. They grant me permission immediately,” he shares.

Flex’s Senior Director Kannan Srinivasan was all praise for Jagannathan’s passion for wheelchair basketball. “He is an excellent athlete and a stellar employee as well. A good work-life balance is necessary to pursue personal passions and he is a shining example of reaching one’s goals,” says Srinivasan.

The Wheelchair Basketball Federation of India (WBFI), in partnership with RR Donnelley, will conduct a National camp for the Indian men’s and women’s teams from August 24 to 31 at the ICF Indoor Stadium in Chennai.

This camp will prepare the sides for the AOZ Championships and Tokyo 2020 Paralympics Qualifiers. The top 12 men’s and women’s players will get to make it to the India squad. The eight-day selection camp will be overseen by Jaspal Dhani, who is the coach, Co-Founder and Chairman of London Titans.