But fate, perhaps, had something else in store for him. He was among the seven judokas who met with a lift accident in Dhaka before the opening of the SAG. [break]
Kaluman did not build castles in the air while he was preparing for the regional sports event. His hope of winning gold was substantiated by the fact that he won bronze medal in the South Asian Judo Championships 2008 despite being a rookie.
“I didn´t have much experience then. This time around, I was expecting silver before going to India for a month-long training just ahead of the SAG. While training in India along with the Indian national team, I realized a gold medal would be quite within my reach,” Kaluman said lying in bed at the Nepal Orthopedic Hospital, Jorpati.
Three weeks after the mishap, it is still uncertain whether he will recover fully as three of the four ligaments were repaired during the operation in Dhaka, according to judo coach Surya Narayan Shrestha. But the strong-willed army man says he is not going to give up. “I have to win the next match in 2012 to make up for the loss this time,” he said.
His face reflects restlessness. “We worked so hard. Alas! We became disabled,” he rued. “All our dreams were shattered.” He sometimes feels neglected. “Everyone is after the victorious,” he said.
While feeling low, the comforting words of karate coach Deepak Shrestha who said "the victorious are not the only players" seem to bring him great relief.
The National Sports Council (NSC) is taking good care of Kaluman and another injured judoka Ramesh Magar. But Kaluman was wondering why the government didn´t announce any relief package to the injured while announcing cash prizes for the medalists.
Meanwhile, Ramesh who also underwent a surgery in Dhaka, said, “They serve us food quite late, maybe because we didn´t win any medal.” And everyone in the room burst into laughter.
According to coach Shrestha, Ramesh left his job because he didn´t get a leave to participate in the SAG. Sports authorities have assured to offer him a contract as a judo instructor.
“They said they will provide me a job and it´s almost confirmed. I hope they will keep their words,” said Ramesh. He, however, has apprehensions as the players have not even received insurance they are entitled to.
His injury is not as critical as that of Kaluman. He was prepared to compete in the SAG had the Nepali team´s doctor Anil Shrestha not prevented him saying that it would cause irreparable damage to his leg. However, no amount of pain has deterred him from eagerly waiting for the next edition of the SAG.
“You are my hero,” said coach Shrestha to Ramesh after he returned home from Dhaka. During the First Asian Martial Arts Games held in Bangkok last year, Ramesh was the only judo player besides Sushila Adhikari to guard the honor of Nepal.
As all other judokas were knocked out in the tournament, Ramesh was able to hold his Thai opponent in a pointless draw. He, however, lost the match after getting foul as he was unaware of the new rules. “I didn´t expect any medal in Thailand, but I had high hopes in the SAG,” he said.
He narrated the training in Bhopal, India. “Seeing Nepal´s frail performance initially, India´s Hungarian coach Joseph had reportedly said, “Is this your national team?” But the Nepali team proved their mettle. We were able to throw them,” said Ramesh.
According to coach Shrestha, Indian judo coach Satish Sharma praising Nepali team said he was certain that Nepal would finish second as a team in the SAG.
More than the physical pain, what plagues the injured players is the missed opportunity. The only solace they have is the memory of training and the appreciation they received from Indian opponents.
There is a striking similarity between the 11th SAG and the Winter Olympics being held in Canada as both the events were marked by mishaps before the opening ceremony.
A Georgian athlete Nodar Kumaritashvili died in a training accident at the Winter Olympics last Friday. His body was brought back to Georgia a few days ago, draped in the national flag and carried by the honor guard. Georgian officials have said a new luge track will be named after Kumaritashvili and built in his hometown Bakuriani.
Fortunately for Nepal, the lift accident was not fatal. But do we have to wait for the athletes to meet such an eventuality to honor them?
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