Kundapura: National-level athlete faces financial hurdles to attend international competition

Kundapura: Young national-level athlete from Aluru, who has won 3 silver and 1 bronze medal in the 100m sprint, is now struggling to afford a flight ticket to participate in an international event. Sachidananda Devadiga, who suffers from cerebral palsy, has qualified to compete in the upcoming Cerebral Palsy Grand Prix Games in Dubai scheduled for February next year. However, financial constraints are clouding his dream of participating.

Sachidananda, son of Srinivas Devadiga and Sharavati Devadiga, resides in Aluru. His brother Sourav, a 7th-standard student, has also made a name for himself by winning district-level chess championships.

Passion for Sports

Sachidananda completed his education up to the 6th grade in Hiriyur, Bengaluru, before moving to Aluru in the 7th grade. His involvement in sports was sparked by his teacher, Veerendra Jogi, who introduced him to athletics. He won medals in district-level javelin and shot put events before securing a bronze medal in shot put at the national level. However, his athletic career was put on hold during the pandemic.

It was his maternal uncle, Manjunath Devadiga, a coach for Special Olympics athletes in Bengaluru, and Sandhya Nayak, a lecturer at Kundapura Government Junior College, who encouraged him to continue. However, despite competing at the national level, Sachidananda struggled financially to access nutritious food and lacked proper guidance, which cost him medals. Nayak later arranged free coaching for him through Samar at Ajjarakad.

Currently, Sachidananda is pursuing his second-year BA at MGM College, Udupi.

Medal Record

Sachidananda represented Karnataka in the national-level Cerebral Palsy Athletics Championship organized by CPSSFI (Cerebral Palsy Sports Federation of India) in Gujarat, Delhi, and Goa. In the under-19 category for the 100m and 200m sprints, he won 3 silver and 1 bronze medal. His dedication to sprinting paid off, and he now trains exclusively for running. He clocked 13.37 seconds in the 100m sprint, with the world record standing at 10.82 seconds.

Financial Struggles

Sachidananda’s father, Srinivas Devadiga, once ran a hotel business in Bengaluru but now sells fish in Aluru. Though the family has managed to support Sachidananda’s education, they are unable to afford the expenses required to send him to Dubai for the February 2025 Grand Prix. The family now hopes for financial support from well-wishers to help Sachidananda achieve his dream of winning gold at the international level.

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Ongoing Medical Needs

Sachidananda’s condition requires lifelong medication, as missing even a single dose can worsen his health. The injury he sustained as a child caused nerve damage to his brain, requiring ongoing treatment. Although his parents did their best to fund his treatment in Tumakuru, they now face challenges in covering his long-term medical expenses.

Translated version of Kannada article by Laxmi Machina