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“Blindness is not a handicap”

A student of Journalism (Hons) at Lady Shri Ram College in Delhi, Jyoti Maggu has been in the forefront of the college's sports activities.

by S. Santhanam

She is not only the sports president of her college but has been actively participating in most sports events organised by the college. Her favourite sport is athletics. She is basically a sprinter and has been training and participating in the 100m, 200m and 400m events, besides the long jump. She is also visually impaired.

Last year, Jyoti participated in the second World Championships for Visually Impaired in Canada. She took to swimming last year and won a gold medal in the 50m event, within a few months of taking to the sport. She has also done a bit of judo and plays chess for leisure but hasn't taken part in any competition so far.

"I would like to concentrate on one discipline -- athletics. With poor vision, I cannot take part in all games,'' Jyoti said. But she expressed her eagerness to do her bit in sport for her college. "It's one way of mixing with your colleagues and knowing them better. Sports is surely recreational and I enjoy it,'' she said.

Being the sports president of her college enables Jyoti to interact with students who are good in other games. "By talking to them, I have learnt so much about various games. The encouragement I receive from my coaches during the training sessions have helped me improve,'' she said.

Her ambition in life is to become a journalist. "But I will not give up my interest in sports,'' she concluded. One could see the glow in her eyes when she spoke about sports and games.

Related stories:
Run, Marla, run
An athlete remembers
Sports associations for the blind
Assistance for blind sportspersons

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