Don’t think I am disabled now, says Amit Kumar

The athlete has represented India in five sports, including the 100m race, long-jump, triple-jump, shotput, and taekwondo.

Para-athlete Amit Kumar has had an inspiring journey which should be showcased to all sports fans. Even after facing so much in his life, Amit believes that his disability has never hampered his love for sports. He has been representing India for a while now and is looking to do even more in the future.

Recently, Khel Now has interacted with this special sportsperson. Here is what he said:

Disability is never a factor in life

While many give up hope after being disabled, Amit Kumar became stronger after this major incident. He said, "I am not disabled now. I was disabled at one point, but now I am habitual of it, so I believe it's all normal now. I believe that we should have sportsmanship and should continue to do well even after losing anything in our lives. Moreover, I always had the support of my parents and friends. They all have helped me become a better player."

Represented India in multiple sports

It's next to impossible to be at your best in four or five sports, but Amit has been exceptional in doing so. He not only represented India in these sports but also did well in each one of them. On being asked about how he is managing all this, Amit said, "I started with high jump and long jump and then moved to triple jump as well. I also took 100m because I had the speed which is needed for this because of my long jump and triple jump skills. So, it was not that difficult. Even I was winning medals in all of these."

He further added, "In 2019, I gained weight and also got my left leg injured. Then, I tried my hand at shotput as I believed this could be possible looking at my current situation. I got medals in the national games in shotput and then immediately represented India in international shotput. I am very proud of myself."

Amit said that becoming a Taekwondo player was never a plan, but to reduce weight, he had to do something. He opted for Taekwondo after losing weight, keeping in mind multiple injuries. Amit also did well in the recently concluded Asian Championships held in Vietnam.

The feeling of the national anthem can't be described

Winning is always one of the best moments in Amit's life, but hearing the national anthem after winning makes it even more special. He said, "This feeling can't be explained in words. The moment of hearing the anthem after winning and seeing your country's flag going upward is a special moment, of course.

Training facilities have improved

Training facilities for para-athletes have improved to a great extent. On this, Amit said, "Yes, things have become better now as there are many institutions that have come forward to support para players. The Indian government is also doing well in this, and this is why we are doing much better than abled athletes. I am sure there will be even better facilities in the future for para-athletes."

Paris Olympics on mind

Amit has played in a couple of Asian Games and World Championships in his career so far. He looks forward to playing these two once again, which is set to take place next year and the year after. But his main goal is entirely different. He briefly said, "I have been a part of two World Championships and two Asian Games and will take part in the same which will happen next year. But my foremost aim is to win a medal in the Olympics. I hope I can do well in the Olympics."