Overcoming hurdles and flying high
Selim Reza, a high jumper with a physical disability, hogged all the spotlight from his able-bodied fellows on the first day of the National Junior Athletics Championships as track and field made a comeback at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday after a long coronavirus-induced break.
Selim, a student of Grade 12 at the MM Haque Technical College in Narail, cleared 1.80 metres to win the gold medal in the adolescent high jump event after leaving Ismail Sheikh of Narail (1.75 metres) and Emadul Haque (1.75 metres) of Jashore to stun all and sundry in the championships, which was marked by the cheerful dispositions of participants who had been confined indoors so long because of the pandemic.
Taking inspiration from South African blade-runner Oscar Pistorious, Selim started dreaming of participating in the Paralympics and has been preparing by competing against capable athletes. He left his home district of Kushtia and moved to Narail to avail better training facilities under renowned grassroots coach Deelip Chakrabarti, who along with the district sports association and others is providing facilities to realise Selim's dream.
"I was born with my right leg shorter than the left and my parents could not go to any doctors due to financial constraints. However, I don't face any problemsin walking," Selim described his disability to The Daily Star after winning the gold medal for the first time. He won bronze in the last edition after returning home with a wooden spoon in the 2016 edition of the junior championships.
Asked how he jumped so high, Selim said, "It has been possible because of my belief and confidence, which were also strengthened when I started participating in inter-school championships and won four gold medals.
"Deelip sir has inspired me to compete against capable athletes and I am still dreaming of participating the 2021 Paralympics, where someone won the gold medal clearing 1.85 metres in the last edition in Rio," said Selim. "If the federation can provide me better facilities, then I can improve myself to win a medal from the Paralympics."
Selim said he had only 15 days' preparation for the junior athletics championships as he had been working as a day labourer to meet the expenses of his studies and other things. His three elder brothers also work as day labourers in Kushtia.
With last edition's fastest sprinter Samiul Islam of Khulna bedridden following the injury he sustained while playing football, neighbouring district Jashore's Akram Hossain Akash became the fastest sprinter in the adolescent group after clocking 10.9 seconds (hand-timing) while Mohammad Limon of Kurigram and Nayeem Islam of Sherpur grabbed the silver and bronze medal, clocking 11.1 and 11.2 seconds respectively. Akash has also won gold in the long-jump event and became the fastest sprinter in his first-ever sprint event of the championships.
In the female adolescent group, Suriya Dewan of Manikganj became the fastest sprinter, clocking 12.8 seconds while Mossammat Suriya of Naogaon bagged the silver with 13.1 seconds.