Man of the match, on and off the field

He is a game-changing match-winner of inclusive sport, a rebel with many a cause and no pause! Inheriting his mom's never-say-die spirit, he lives life larger than king size, committed to the larger cause of life and work with an infectious broad smile, defying all odds.

A candid chat with Sagar Gowda on life, work, and wheelchair cricket...

How was life prior to the tragic accident??

?My parents are self made people. They fell in love and got married against their parents’ wishes. Little did my mother know at the time of entering into wedlock that going forward, my father would leave her alone for years, shunning every family responsibility. He simply spent time idling with his friends and enjoying life in waywardness. A true fighter that she is, my mother took up employment in a garment factory to raise my elder brother and me, almost like a single parent!?

?From 2004 onwards, my father came back home a changed man. He lent a helping hand to my mom and became an auto driver but then he had also succumbed to smoking and alcohol addiction, and hence we could never share an enduring bond or create beautiful memories as a family! Our first ever family trip was to a temple this year, the only time we have gone out as a family!?

At school, I was quite proactive in studies. My favourite subject was moral science as I was deeply interested in listening to stories that give us priceless life lessons. I also have great love and respect for my state, culture, as also my mother tongue Kannada. Like all kids, I played cricket a lot. I also loved cycling and football.??I had a lot of friends back then and I do feel bad that I was not able to convert them into best pals as I met with an unfortunate accident at 17!

?My mother is my biggest role model. As a child, I don’t know why but I used to tell my mother that I want to start my career at a very young age. It did happen, but not in the way I thought it would! There’s another interesting thing my mother keeps telling even now. When I was about four years old, she once asked me, ‘how much would you earn when you grow up?’ My answer came on an impulse: ‘3 crore 11 lakh’. To this day, I have no idea how I came up with that precise figure at such a young age, but given the journey I am treading, I feel it is destined to come true for sure!?

When, where, and how did the tragedy happen? How did you come to terms with it??

?In 2015, I was in my first semester of civil engineering at Bangalore. I and two of my friends were triple riding, headed back home after an adhoc temple visit. I was the last pillion rider. Before we all released to our horror, my friend crashed into a roadside divider. I was hospitalized and after multiple operations, the doctor told us that there was no option but to amputate my left leg. As for me, I?knew the very moment we crashed that I had lost my limb, but I was aware of the fact that my life was important for my parents. I am sure you would find it difficult to believe my exact words to my friends and the people who gathered there to save me: “Take me somewhere and kill me, as I do not want to see my parents in this condition.” I said this because I had lied to my mother that I was going to college when I had actually bunked lectures for the temple visit. To this day, I regret lying to her.

Throughout the fifteen days I was at the hospital, my mother was the only one besides me. She was my sole support system who kept telling me, ‘What??happened is now the past, it is time to think past it now.’ She cited several examples of other persons grappling with bigger disabilities more challenging than mine. She kept motivating me all the time, when I came back home, there was no mention of the tragic incident in our household conversations. I was treated the same way as before. During the early days, it was a challenge using the artificial leg as I used to trip and fall. She was always around to remind me that this was no reason to feel embarrassed about it. She used to narrate a truckload of stories of how she tactfully countered the umpteen difficult scenarios at her workplace. Her words gave me supreme confidence! To be honest, at times, the thought of ending my life or leaving??for a unknown place forever proved overpowering, but then I had mental visions of my mother which stopped me from doing anything drastic. I didn’t want to lie to her again, I simply couldn’t think of repeating the same mistake.

How and when did you turn to cricket? What are the milestones of your cricketing career?

In 2017, I got to know about “Divyaang Myithri Sports Academy”. This was a turning point in my life as I was introduced to wheelchair sports, and more importantly I nurtured a dream to represent my state and country. I was fortunate enough to have done just that by playing wheelchair cricket and bringing glory to the nation! In parallel,??I started working with our NGO which gave me the confidence to extend my boundaries and surprise myself in life.?

Divyang Premier League?has truly been a memorable experience for me. Although, I was in tremendous form and the Vice-Captain of the team, being a young guy meant I was under tremendous pressure right from the word go! My captain and couple of players fell sick right before the semi-finals, and I had to lift the team spirit and make sure we maintained the same winning attitude. We won the semis against Mumbai, thanks largely to my captain who roared like a lion and stepped in at the right time to lead from the front despite the sickness. We also won the finals against Punjab, it was a team effort with everyone stepping in to contribute towards the winning cause during crunch moments. I feel proud?when I overhear players from other teams say ‘Do not attempt a run if the ball goes to Sagar’ as also when players ask for my signed jersey. If players and spectators??see some spark in me right now, I am indeed grateful for that, although I wish to achieve a lot more in life. As regards milestones, I would cite the following en route my voyage as Karnataka and India player?

·??????Best bowler in debut series, 2018

·??????5 wicket haul on debut, 2018

·??????Led Karnataka to victory vs Mumbai in my debut series as captain 2019

·??????Representing India for two series, 2019 and 2023

Please describe in detail your transformation process for the game??

Post the accident, lack of physical activity made me put on a lot of weight, which later impacted my game. I was always craving for food as it had become a habit during my recovery phase. I knew I had to be in good shape to excel in the playground. From 2021, I consciously took the decision to steer clear of junk food and lost about 10 kg. I also focused on flexibility and reflexes which helped me personally and professionally. Again, thanks to my mother who made sure I was following a rigorous diet plan with only one cheat meal per month (my favourite Bread and Coffee??)?

In a series, when I was replaced based on one off game, I worked hard to come on top and set an example for everyone! On the psychological front too, I had to transform in many ways. Initially, I was a very aggressive decision maker on the field. When I realised this attitude was not giving me the right results, I did some introspection. I??knew I was captain material but my aggressive nature was a big hurdle in my way. Over time and with consistent effort, I developed a cool, calm, calculated demeanour and worked on my skills by writing elaborate notes. In fact, I diligently wrote a diary about key learnings which helped me a lot. I also studied??the mindset and regimen of great players like Virat Kohli. I have picked up many traits that he shared in media interviews. I also took to elaborate pre and post match analysis. All this helped me turn a new leaf in good time!?

Could you share a few incredible experiences and interactions in the course of your playground action…

During 2019, during the 2nd National wheelchair cricket championship, we we supposed to get our wheelchairs by 10 AM on the match day which were being sourced from Mumbai. Sadly, the travel agent took us for a ride and demanded 50 K upfront. He??blackmailed us threatening that we will not get our wheelchairs?if we don’t pay the amount. Consequently, we we played with different wheelchairs??in that match (which we had never used before) but went onto score 194! This is one feat we can truly proud of as a team, fighting adverse??circumstances to put up a great game.

My debut game for India against Bangladesh is another moment to cherish. It was an awkward situation as on the eve of the match, an unknown comment went viral on social media: ‘Only three players from Karnataka are enough to defeat team Bangladesh.” Now, this could have been any of our players and we could not figure out which players the cryptic comment referred to! Maybe the comment was made due to the fact that I was not used to my full potential in the series and two more players from Karnataka were benched. I remember our awkwardness in the dressing room as all eyes were on us.?

On the bright side, there were many fun moments as players from Nepal and Bangladesh used my bat throughout the series! I also relished our team meetings to explore how we could upscale our game and set high standards, so that more people come to watch us in action.?

How do you look at the future of wheelchair cricket in India and elsewhere??

Even though I say I am committed to help the next generation, ideally there should be no one to undergo a life of disability. Having said that, I am committed to help the next generation of players pursue their “Passion as Profession”. If the players around me and those coming after me pick up a few threads from my journey, I will feel blessed!

I am always optimistic about the future, but given the lack of awareness about disability sports, I doubt that there will be many players who will achieve cult status of a legend or a role model. As you may be aware, people cheer for us only during “Paralympics”. Although we are athletes, we don’t get the same opportunities and infrastructure. Sadly, our cause is not represented in the right manner, and there is rampant corruption within the system.?

Wheelchair cricket certainly has a great future given the audience interest and participation. People understand the game better and they are curious to know about the rules of the game, and when they watch us from the side-lines, they quickly come to terms with the fact that we take a little more time to get back to our bowling and batting marks. They wholeheartedly interact with the players too. Those watching the game on digital devices can’t get the thrill in full measure and they are unaware of many little challenges that matter most. For example, we do not have ballboys/girls to fetch the ball when it goes to the boundary, we rely?on volunteers or opposition players for the job! So many factors like these impact our game. Funding is another challenge as more and more corporates prefer sponsoring individual performers, not team sports.

Please describe your day to day responsibilities working as customer service representative and athlete manager? How do you manage to pursue cricket and employment so seamlessly?

As an operations analyst, I build strategic reports for our customers on how their business is doing online which includes business reviews, measuring website footfalls, managing phone enquiries and making suggestions for revenue growth. As an athlete manager, I am in constant touch with the district players making sure they are in the right frame of mind. I organise team meet ups and fun activities besides managing “Divyaang Myithri” and “Karnataka Wheelchair Cricket” social media handles, reaching out to sponsors, blog writing, annual reports, event reports to sponsors. My Company “SYNUP” has been very supportive towards my game, and this has allowed me to focus on both my profession and passion.

What are your key goals and objectives going forward?

Right from the day I started playing cricket and other wheelchair sports, I made a resolution to myself. What ever credit or sponsorship I get in future, I will split it 50-50 for myself and others. I am the principal bread winner for my family at the moment, but when I achieve some financial stability, I would focus full time on working with my NGO in bringing people out of their houses and help them realise the magical impact of sport and social interaction. Our NGO envisions India as a “para-dominant” nation in all fields, be it sports, industry or profession, and we are committed to help people rediscover themselves. I would like to be remembered as a selfless soul who inspired and helped create several leaders in all walks of life.?

You wish to inspire and support the next generation of sportspersons.???

When I say that, I essentially see my mother in myself. She wanted to achieve so much in life but she could not, so I wish to fulfil her ambitions by inspiring others. I will do it to the extent possible and in all ways possible. At the end of the day, even if I hear people say “Sagar has not let his parents down!” that would spell great fulfilment to me.?

Who are your favourite cricketers in the Indian team? If given a choice, who among them you would like to meet in person?

To be honest, I am someone who picks the smallest of traits from all players and even commentators, support staff, and just about everyone involved in my favourite sport of cricket. Yet, given a choice, I would like to meet Mr. Virat Kohli as his words deeply resonate with me. He has said on may occasions how he wasn’t the most skilled and disciplined player when he started playing the game, but cultivated the talent and temperament over time. I have done something similar in my life. I would want him to be the global ambassador for wheelchair cricket which will make the sport popular across the globe.

Any thoughts you wish to highlight?

“Always wear helmet and seat belt”

“Please do not triple ride”

“Do not let your parents down”

“Do not lie to them in any situation, they are our creators, don’t hurt their feelings ever”

“Do not overthink; don't compare your progress with your potential, not with the performance of others”?