Exploring a wider world through sports
Bocce player, Athlete from Jammu
Raghudeep Singh, 47 yrs, is a physically well-built Athlete from Jammu, who was diagnosed with 42% disability. He had epileptic seizures when he was a few days old and was later referred to a neurosurgeon and a speech therapist as well. ‘We accepted his condition as gift of God”, says his father, Mr Jagdev Singh Thakur
Raghudeep has a younger sister and his parents, now retired, worked as a banker and a teacher. He attended school till class eight but could not cope any further, with studies. His learning, to a large extent, came from his mother who was a teacher. He has been one of the very few persons with Intellectual and developmental disabilities who enjoyed acceptance by his family and the surrounding community. He has been invited as Chief Guest at events. There were, however, few instances of him being bullied in school but they were resolved with the support of the school and his family.
On any average day, he loves to look after the plants and trees, and also cries when he finds a plant wither. He follows his parents, who are spiritual and have travelled several pilgrim locations. He has a notebook where he finds calm as he pens down ‘Ram’.
However, Raghudeep has no friends outside his family, who are his companions too. Before sports he did not perceive a world beyond his family. Despite all the comforts, he was aggressive and restive. Although the family was aware of Special Olympics since very long, it was only about three years back that he started to actively participate in sports. Sports opened a world of joy and achievement. He placed a picture of Ms Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the founder of the Special Olympics movement, world over, at his home. He played Badminton, Bocce and Cricket and competed in Bocce at the Purple fest held in 2023. He participated in Bocce in January 2024 at the Jammu State games and won a gold medal.
Wearing the medal brought a new feeling of victory and fulfilment. He beamed on the victory stand, having discovered an athlete within himself. Bocce provided him a purpose. His father, has since, observed a change in his behavior and his energy is well utilized. Raghudeep dons his sports shoes with a sense of pride, to exercise and stay fit. He also wears his T shirt & medal and seeks the blessings of his parents frequently.
“Sports has awarded a qualification to my son. He meets the crowd and more athletes, learning courtesy and assuming a meaningful role where his performance contributes to that of his team”, says his father.
Like most of India, Raghudeep too has a passion for Cricket and remains glued to the TV or his mobile to trail T20, but Bocce has opened a new path for him. If we ask him, what does he look forward to, he says, ‘for the next Bocce camp’.
