Mumbai’s Nisha Gupta is all set for 2019 Asia Oceania Championships

Wheelchair basketball player from Mumbai Nisha Gupta is on cloud nine as months of hard work has paid off. Nisha Gupta has been selected for Indian Women’s Wheelchair Basketball team that will represent the country in the 2019 Asia Oceania Championships. The championships is to be held in Pattaya, Thailand this November.

The 2019 Asia Oceania Championships is being hosted by the Thailand Wheelchair Basketball Association. The Championship will decide the countries from the Asia Oceania Zone that will qualify for the 2020 Paralympicsin Tokyo, Japan. The Championship will be held from 27 November till 8 December.

2019 has been a very good year for Nisha so far. She was also a part of the Maharashtra Women’s wheelchair Basketball team that won the National Wheelchair Basketball Championship for the second consecutive year.

It has not been an easy journey for Nisha, she suffered massive Spinal Cord Injury in 2004 that left her paralyzed below the waist. Nisha chose not give up on life and started taking interest in sports. She has excelled both as a swimmer and a wheelchair basketball player, winning national and international events.

Sports became a rehab for me and playing basketball has given a new meaning to my life. I am proud that I am able to represent the country in this sport and it is a great honor for me. I was one of the few people who initiated the creation of a women’s wheelchair basketball team in Maharashtra.

Nisha also feels lucky to have learnt under experienced mentors and coaches who have helped her realize the talent and reach her potential despite several ups and downs.

“Maharshtra won the 6th National Wheelchair Basketball Championships for Men and Women earlier this year and subsequently 12 Women players were selected for the Indian Team after a camp at Chennai. The players will represent India at the Asia Oceania Zone (AOZ) Wheelchair Basketball Championship,” says Captain Louis George Meprath, Head Coach Maharashtra

Apart from Nisha Gupta, the other players are Kartiki Patel, Geeta Chouhan, Minakshi Jadhav, Sakshi Chauhan, Jyoti Toralakar, Arati Suresh, A Hindu, Rekha, Suchitra Parida, Ishrat Akhter and Hima Kalyani while Kanagalakshmi, Garima Joshi are reserves.

Nisha has emerged as one of the top five players of her team and recently started working in a private sector firm in Mumbai. She is happy in the job but her thoughts are forever with her game.

“The rains are hampering the practice sessions currently but I am focused on being ready for the upcoming championships. I do wish that the government would provide more financial and m oral support to para sports. We also deserve to be recognized for our talents like other sportspersons, and it would be great if more there was awareness about para sports in the country so that more young people with disabilities could come forward and make sports a part of their lives. “

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