Teenager’s grit to overcome tragedy makes him hero of 22 yards
When young Bhim Sharma, a resident of Tura, lost his left arm at the tender age of 10 to an infection developed after an injury, life seemed bleak. At an age when he should be full of hope for future, Sharma was faced with numerous questions which magnified life’s complexities.
Like most of his contemporaries, Sharma loved to run around, play the common pranks, enjoy a good game of cricket and let all his worries sink in the sleep-filled eyes of the early evening. However, things took a dramatic turn and all that was dear, now seemed to keep a distance from the dreamer.
A young man of 16 now, Sharma has long moved on from the tragedy.
Talking to Sunday Shillong he recalled how he learnt to take “the unpleasant experience of life” in his stride.
“When I was 10, I fell outside the bathroom injuring my left hand. It didn’t look that serious and we applied local medicine. Alas, that did not work! The result was a major infection which led to amputation of my left hand,” Sharma said recollecting how devastated he had felt back then.
The youngest of the four children (three sisters and a brother) at home, Sharma’s parents — the father involved in the coal trade and mother a homemaker — soon sent him to Shillong for continuing his studies. He was to be looked after by one of his elder sisters and her husband, who are city residents.
Like most of the Indian children, Sharma had an immense liking for the game of cricket, which he started playing at eight, and even though the charm of the sport has not ceased to mesmerise him, the physical handicap shrouded the mind with doubts of not being able to do justice to the activity.
Reluctant but filled with the desire to grab that cricket bat and ball once again, Sharma opened up hoping to get ‘inducted’ into the road side and neighbourhood ground matches.
“To get to play yet again was not that difficult but being part of a playing XI was the challenge,” Sharma recalled.
“Playing with one hand seemed near impossible initially, but the love for the game kept me going,” the 16-year-old, who currently resides in Nongmynsong and is a Class IX student of Bhanu Bhakta School in the area, said.
Not only this, taking up an activity that people thought was out of reach of the physically challenged and gradually showing signs of excelling in it despite the apparent limitations, gave Sharma a sense of direction.
His faith in his abilities and above all the motivation to strive for his dreams finally found recognition when the youngster was named in the school’s playing XI for the annual Inter School Cricket tournament organised by the Shillong Cricket Association.
The teacher entrusted with the selection of the Bhanu Bhakta’s cricket team, Binay Kumar Sunar, proudly said there was no sympathy factor involved in Sharma’s selection.
“He deserved to feature in the squad as we felt he was among the best 11 players the school has,” Sunar told Sunday Shillong.
Sharma, who groomed himself as an all-rounder (a right arm medium bowler and a No.4 batsman) has grabbed two wickets in the equal number of matches his side has played so far in the tourney and made a valuable 12 runs of 18 balls against Jail Road Boys Higher Secondary School in the last game. “The performances speak for themselves. He is no pushover and has already justified his position in the squad,” Sunar added.
Bhanu Bhakta have won both their games so far.
Also lauding the achievement was none other than Director of the Shillong Cricket Academy, Gideon Kharkongor. Kharkongor recalled how the boys had come with a plea that Sharma be allowed to play.
“The Shillong Cricket Association stands for inclusion. It’s heartening to see this boy doing well despite the impediments,” he said.
Kharkongor added that with continued efforts Sharma can play for India’s physical disability cricket team.
And this might be a reality soon as Sharma confided in Sunday Shillong that he wants to continue to play cricket at even higher levels as long as he can.
