Social Media is a remarkable medium, and while it comes with it negatives, the positives far outweigh. We have seen moments of humanity that make our heart melt. With Sushma Swaraj helping citizens, people coming together to raise funds for others in need, Twitter, has given us some moments to cherish.
One such moment happened today, when Himanta Biswa Sarma decided to give someone a reason to smile.
This Sunday, on November 12th, ‘The News Minute’ had reported how 26 year old Abbas Sugil, a top para badminton player in the doubles category, had planned to go for a prosthetic limb from Comprehensive Prosthetics & Orthotics in Hyderabad. Sugil was born without a left hand, and even though that didn’t stop him from becoming a top athlete, he had decided it was time to get a prosthetic.
He is reported to have said. “It would help me with balancing and improving my game. It would also improve my left hand power and I could exercise and strengthen it more for my game.”
The prosthetic limb would cost Sugil Rs. 1.15 Lac, and Dhanya Rajendran of the News Minute was seen appealing for funds
This para badminton champion from TN needs your help to get an artificial arm. Do help if you can. https://t.co/KGHfKp3MMf
— Dhanya Rajendran (@dhanyarajendran) November 12, 2017
It has been three days, and as well as the crowd sourcing must have been going, Abbas got a surprise when Himanta Biswa Sarma tweeted pledging support
Badminton Association of India will bear the entire expenditure. How can we communicate him? Any phone no? https://t.co/811STnfR6M
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) November 15, 2017
We at OpIndia spoke to Mr. Sugil Abbas after we saw Sarma’s tweet.
Mr. Abbas said, when he spoke to ‘The News Minute’, they asked him if he planned to get a prosthetic limb to better his game. He had said he would perhaps go for one in the future because he did not have the finances to do so at the moment. It is then that the crew stepped in to set up crowd sourcing for Abbas. He also clarified, that as reported, it is not a surgery that he has to undergo.
“It is not a surgery. It is just a prosthetic arm that will be fitted. I will have to then undergo physiotherapy to get used to it. The 1.15 Lac cost is for a very basic model of prosthetic arm. The good ones, that almost feel like human limb, cost about 27 Lac.”
He also added that right now, he would start with the basic prosthetic and practice, maybe a better model can be tried later.
Sugil has made the country proud consistently. He has won a total of 17 medals in National Championships and has already won 3 medals in International Championships which he started playing only last year.
Minutes after Sarma pledged help, he tweeted saying that he had already spoken to Abbas and had confirmed that the Badminton Association of India would bear the entire cost.
I talked to @SUGILABBAS . @BAI_Media will bear the entire expenditure of his treatment https://t.co/s3kFWplmjG
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) November 15, 2017
The initial model of prosthetic that costs about 1.15 Lac is just the beginning. We hope Mr. Sarma supports our star all the way to the 2020 Para Olympic games and beyond, with whatever his needs might be to better his game and bring glory to our country.
