Rao started competing in track and field after being inspired by Lt Gaurav Colonel Dutta, 54, whom he met at the Artificial Limb Centre in Pune. Long jump is the event in which he will represent India in the Para Asian Games in Hangzhou later this year. He first competed as a blade runner.
When a landmine exploded in the Uri region of J&K in 2013, Someswara Rao was still reeling from the anguish of losing his left leg below the knee. The young soldier was still receiving therapy when he had the thought to end it all one day. He hopped to the loo while holding a blade. But a call to a friend saved his life.
“I am sitting here and speaking to you today because my mother called me on that particular day. I started crying when I heard my mother’s voice, and then I simply passed out. I was in and out of the ICU for the following ten days,” said Rao, 33, speaking to The Indian Express.
The amputation brought up painful memories, despite his commitment to himself that he would never entertain such ideas again. However, a chance encounter with an Army paratriathlete named Lt. Colonel. Gaurav Dutta offered him a new lease on life.
Rao began out in track and field as a blade runner but later converted to long jump, an event in which he will represent India at the Para Asian Games in Hangzhou later this year. He was inspired to take up track and field by Lt Colonel Dutta, 54, whom he met at the Artificial Limb Centre in Pune.
Lt. Col. Dutta played a crucial role in establishing the Army’s Paralympics Node (APN) in 2017. Eight trainees from APN, including Rao, will compete for India in the October 22–28 Para Asian Games.
The jumpers will include Rao, Solai Raj, and Unni Renu, while Jasbir Singh and Ajay Kumar will compete in the 400-meter race. Virender, Hokato Sema, and Soman Rana will compete in the shot put competition.
On Tuesday, the tryouts took place at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi.
When Rao enlisted in the Indian Army’s 11 Madras Regiment in 2011, he eagerly anticipated being assigned to the Uri zone. He was enlisted into the Ghatak Platoon, a renowned regiment comprised of the best troops in the nation.
Rao recalled the event that altered the course of his life: “A landmine had exploded in a ditch in Uri the previous night. Since it was completely dark when we arrived for the inspection, we used light flares. That evening, nothing occurred. But the following morning, I stepped on a landmine as we were returning to the trench.
“That’s a path we had taken so many times, but that day it wasn’t the same,” said Rao, a sprinter who has won numerous international Grand Prix gold.
Ajay Kumar, a 33-year-old soldier of the 12 Dogra Regiment, had a similar tale. Ajay, another member of Ghatak Platoon, also lost a limb while conducting reconnaissance in the Uri region when a landmine exploded. He received an administrative job following the 2017 incident, something he never relished.
“I felt uncomfortable. I quickly called Dutta Sahab and begged him to let me join sports since I couldn’t do this. We now get a second chance at life thanks to sports. I doubt we would be this content if it weren’t for sports, Ajay said.
Even though Lt. Colonel. Dutta’s intervention altered the lives of countless children, he is still not content because there is still much to be done in India’s parasports industry.
“I am aware of the struggles these men face. You were a warrior just the day before, but the next day you felt unfit enough to work in the fields. Lt. Colonel. Dutta, who overcame injuries from landmines in 2001, mentors them and talks to them about sports and how important it is to even participate in competitions.
Shot putter Hokato Sema claimed that “Dutta Sahab” was also responsible for his introduction to athletics.
The soldier from the 9 Assam Regiment chose to participate in an operation along the LoC in 2002 while still a teenager. “My officer asked me, “Why do you want to go?’ as I raised my hand. You’re young, right? It was also very unsafe, according to a close acquaintance of mine from Nagaland. We both desired to someday join the paracommandos, according to the 39-year-old Hokato, who, like the other competitors, qualified for the Asiad based on rankings and tryouts.
After the J&K expedition, Hokato and his companion both announced that they will sign up for the special forces. “Infiltrators were firing back at us.
