Bhadrak: An autistic woman has come forward to provide sports kit worth lakhs of rupees to a differently-abled girl in Odisha’s Bhadrak district to help her participate in international sporting events.
Leela Tanya Choudhury has provided sports kits worth Rs 3.7 lakh to wheelchair-bound fencer Madhusmita Sahu.
Bhadrak District Collector Siddeshwar Baliram Bondar handed over the kit to polio-afflicted Madhusmita Sahu at his office and wished her all success in the presence of 22-year-old Tanya and her younger sister Diksha.
“When we read the news in a website about Madhusmita seeking support to participate in an international event, Tanya showed interest to support her. We immediately contacted the news website to find out the details. They helped us connect to Madhusmita and her coach Rakhal Kumar Sethi,” said Tanya’s mother Joshma Choudhury, a certified counsellor for special children.
Tanya’s father P Choudhury said they reached out to the Collector of Bhadrak and expressed willingness to sponsor the kit so that Madhusmita could represent India at international competitions.
A part of the sponsorship money has been paid from Tanya’s earnings which she has saved from her vocational work, Joshma said.
Madhusmita, despite her financial and physical hardships, has made a name for herself in wheelchair fencing through sheer determination and perseverance.
Earlier this year, she won gold and silver medals for Odisha at the national-level wheelchair fencing competition held at Karnal in Haryana, Sethi said.
A native of Rameshwarpur village under Dhamnagar block in Bhadrak district, Madhusmita is delighted that her prayers for equipment have been answered.
“I was not sure if anyone would help. I still cannot believe that I now have the equipment and will take part in international tournaments. For me, Tanya is like an angel,” said an emotional Madhusmita, whose father Bhagabat Sahu is a potter.
Expressing gratitude to the Choudhurys for their noble gesture, coach Sethi said Madhusmita has the potential to earn a name for India.
“She can now focus on training instead of worrying about equipment,” he said.
PTI
