Malik’s date with Gold

On Saturday, in a room full of 200-odd people at an upmarket hotel in Juhu, Deepa Malik had the self-assurance to speak on the treatment of Para-athletes. It was not a generic crowd though. An event where Akshay Kumar was at the centre of the stage with Rajeev Mehta, secretary of the Indian Olympic Association next to the actor.

In her plea, Malik was stern to voice her concern from her crunch wheel-chair. “The Para Olympics squad is much smaller but we win more medals,” she said addressing Akshay. Probably each person in the gathering knew that she was right and they are guilty of neglecting these athletes even after they bring medals to the country. The javelin and shot-put athlete was only saying it out loud.

When the country was lamenting the lack of medals after Rio Olympics in 2016, Malik and other para-athletes returned with solacing two golds, one silver and a bronze medal. This compared to two medals in the able-body Olympics was not met with a similar response and that became the grounds on which Malik articulated on Saturday.

Malik also hints that Para-Asian games could be her last tournament since the World Para Athletics association will club t-51, t-52 and t-53 categories. These groups are for athletes with functional upper bodies but vary on different levels. She insists that these will be the odds she cannot defy.

“It will be a disadvantage for me. I don’t want to compete for the sake of it but for medals. I know for a fact that I have faced bigger challenges but this could be the time for me to call it day,” she said speaking to the Asian Age later.

Also when she addressed Akshay, her words were, “we will win medals.” The kind of confidence she was giving out from the wheelchair surprised other athletes who were present for the Asiad sending-off event.

As soon as the event commenced, she did not waste time to leave with her entourage for her farm house in Pune. “Just some gala time before the practice begins,” she says.

Moreover, it meant a great deal to the 47-year old. She later spoke about her tale. “Before 2012, I felt that I had achieved enough and then came the London Paralympics. Due to some miscommunication with my coach and paperwork, I could not go. I was 42 then and I thought okay, I can probably call it a day now and I don’t have anything to prove to anyone,” she says.

For over 15 years, Malik has been confined to the wheelchair because of a spinal tumour.

What changed her decision was the Arjuna Award that she received the same year. More than hunger, she “took it upon herself” to not bring her career to a standstill. Malik had silver medal from 2011 Christchurch World Championships and she was hanging her boots knowing that she could have turned it into gold.

She explains the U-turn. “I wanted to change the perception about women. The society was not so open then. Being a para-athlete who is also a female, I heard a lot of things. I made up my mind and turned my head towards 2016 Paralympics. You know the result,” she smiles.

The Para Asian Games will be held from 8 to 16 October where Malik will test her mettle at the shot-put events. This might be her last chance to turn her two silver from World Championships and Paralympics into Gold.