Olympic medal at 41 is para shuttler Anand Kumar's dream

Imagine if someone told you that he started playing a sport at 19, became World No. 1 at 34, and his next target is to win an Olympic medal at 41. Wouldn't you ridicule them? "That's what most people do when I tell them," says para badminton player Anand Kumar from Bengaluru.

Not many know outside of the badminton circle know him. "I'm not Saina (Nehwal) or a cricketer. Why would people want to know me?" he asks.

For starters, Kumar was World No. 1 in para athletes ranking in 2013. He has been a regular at most para badminton meets, and has won the Israel para Championship on three occasions. Currently ranked No. 7, Kumar says he still fails to get any recognition, but has no qualms about it.

After all, life has not been quite easy for the 36-year-old. Diagnosed with polio in the right leg and right hand, Kumar never really thought that professional badminton would be his bread and butter. When he decided to play the sport for fun at 19, his main problem was finding a coach. "I used to go to Canara Union, a sports coaching academy in Bengaluru. I wanted to learn how to play, but nobody would coach me the technical aspects of the game.

They said I was too old to learn. Normally kids between 10-12 are coached that." And so he decided to learn on his own. He would sit at the badminton courts for hours and see how coaches would train youngsters. He would then replicate the strokes during practise.

So how did he get his breakthrough? "Someone from the para association saw that I was a decent player and gave me a chance to represent India in the German International tournament in 2001. Obviously due to lack of coaching, I failed miserably. That's when I decided that I really need a coach if I want to participate in future events."

However, going for that tournament, Kumar had victory in defeat. "When I told my father that I wanted to play badminton, he straight away said no. But after a lot of convincing and seeing that I was really interested, he relented. His friend convinced him to allow me to participate. And then when he saw that I was so passionate, that he not only allowed me to go to Germany, but also sponsored my trip," Kumar says with a smile.

After the Germany trip he managed to get someone to train him, and Kumar practised diligently. His major breakthrough was winning the Israel Open in 2003, and things just spiralled upwards after that. "After winning the tournament in Israel, I was given the opportunity to participate in major events. When I won bronze at the 2004 Asian Championship, I felt that I had arrived on the big stage. It was the beginning of something new, and I was ready for it." By the way, he won the Israel Open thrice.

After claiming the World No. 1 spot in June 2013, Kumar decided that he wanted to give back to the sport. So he started the Anand Kumar badminton academy, where he not only coaches para athletes, but also normal kids. "There are so many kids who want to take up the sport, but don't get the facilities or the right coaching. That's why I started the academy," he says.

He's also trying to tie up with MNCs so that athletes get the funds they need to compete. "Participating in international tournaments requires a lot of money, and players have to participate in such tournaments to better their rankings. I provide coaching for free, but they need money for their kits and stay. The government really does not provide any financial support, and that's why we are forced to approach MNCs."

So, what's next for him? "I'm scheduled to play the Spanish Para-Badminton tournament in March. I'm going to continue playing in these tournaments to keep myself fit and get selected to represent India in the 2020 Paralympics where badminton will make its debut at the Games. As an athlete, there's nothing better than winning an Olympic medal."