There are countless reasons and occasions for gratitude to rent the air. And Amit Kumar Saroha has his own. It was not about his fight against adversity after a road accident; nor was it about securing equal rewards and employment opportunities for Haryana’s Para Sport Athletes. It was about acknowledging the roles played by his Escort and personal coach.
In a fantastic gesture, Amit Saroha gave away Rs. 25 lakh each to his personal coach Devender and his Escort Devender Saroha in a simple ceremony held in the banquet hall of a Murthal hotel, around 15 km from his home in Bayanpur village in Haryana’s Sonipat district on Saturday. The theme was: Honour, Gratitude and Felicitation.
Be that as it may, the two-time IPC Athletics World Championships silver medalist honoured many who were part of his transformation from Amit the quadriplegic to Amit Saroha the champion athlete. The included officials of the Sports Authority of India, Paralympic Committee of India and Government of Haryana’s Department of Sports.
Amit Saroha’s show of gratitude was made more valuable with integrity and humility. Amit Saroha brought two persons, integral to his evolution, to the centrestage and celebrated their contribution. “I have seen these two bulwarks as second only to my mother in importance,” Amit Saroha said, indicating the pedestal on which he had placed them both.
“Escorts are integral part of the lives of Para Athletes, especially ones with severe disabilities. Apart from helping the wheelchair-bound Para Athletes in their day-to-day activities, the Escort also has an important role in the sporting journeys. There are times when Escorts double up as coaches, physiotherapists and mental-trainers,” he said.
The beautiful thing about it all was the fact it was not the force of circumstance but the powerful force of the conscience that was at the root of the gesture. Come to think of it, gratitude is one of the easiest philosophies to follow. And no sporting journey is accomplished without unflinching support from numerous people.
To be sure, many athletes have shown their gratitude to their personal coaches. We are aware that some cricketers have given cars and even apartments to their gurus. Yet, Amit Saroha’s gesture to his Escort could go down as the first instance of an athlete’s gratitude to a support personnel who is ubiquitous, yet largely blends with the surroundings.
Then again, there may be a few athletes who have been grateful and done something similar but have preferred to keep their act private. Amit Saroha’s intention of hosting a function was to highlight the role of Escorts in the lives of Para Sport Athletes and initiate a movement to make their sacrifices be known and rewarded.
If he succeeds in his larger mission of drawing greater attention to Escorts with this gesture of gratitude to Devender Saroha, the three-time Paralympian will have achieved more for his sport and for those who serve selflessly without expectation. And, since emotions are contagious, he may inspire other athletes to come up with their show of gratitude to their own support system.
It is well-known in Para Sport circles that Amit Saroha has been generous and has supported other athletes, not seeing them as competition. On Saturday, Dharambir narrated the story of when he sought to reach out to Amit Saroha in 2014 and the latter surprised him with a visit to his home and promised him support in his journey as a Discus Thrower.
While there was a sense of nostalgia enveloping the ceremony, the 36-year-old made no bones about picking himself up after a medal-less Paralympic Games and get ready for his third Para Asian Games next year. He has been representing India since the Commonwealth Games in Delhi in 2010 and intends to continue competing, recalibrating.
