Chhtrapati Sambhajinagar: In an inspiring story, a 13-year-old boy from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district of Maharashtra suffering from Cerebral Palsy has achieved a rare feat by winning the Gold Medal in the National Taekwondo Championship.
Rudra Pandey from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar has proved that even if the body faces a challenge, one's mental strength can overcome it. Fighting Cerebral Palsy, a disorder related to the brain, Rudra has won gold in the National Taekwondo Championship making his family proud.
His performance in Taekwondo in the individual sport of karate paved the way for him to play for India at the international level.
Cerebral Palsy Federation of India organizes the tournament every year for boys suffering from Cerebral Palsy. This year the competition was organized in Chandigarh in the last week of March which was won by Rudra.
Rudra has been learning Taekwondo, a form of karate, for the past few years. He used to go to school every morning and practice the sport for two hours in the evening. Amateur Taekwondo Association President K D Shardul, Secretary Neeraj Borse, Lata Kalwar along with other members encouraged Rudra for the rare feat. Rudra's father Sushant Pandey hoped that his son could participate in the National Competition.
Rudra Pandey, currently studying in Class VIII, said he has body paralysis on the left side and also a low vision in one eye. Despite suffering from the challenging disorder, he has made a name for himself at the national level thanks to the support of the family, he said.