Excelsior Sports Correspondent
BIJBEHARA, Feb 16: The captain of Jammu and Kashmir’s disabled cricket team who lost both his arms to a tragic accident in his childhood and holds his bat innovatively between neck and shoulder, is aiming to make his entry into national team.
Amir Hussain, 36, of a remote Waghama village, in South Kashmir, was studying in 2nd Standard, when he lost his both arms to the blade of a machine at his father’s bat manufacturing factory in 1997. Most of his flesh was taken apart from his shoulders and arms by the machine.
With Sachin Tendulkar as his role model, Amir’s unique way of holding his bat is catching attention of everybody who sees him playing. Besides, he bowls leg breaks by holding the cricket ball in his toe and finger.
Not letting his disability to hinder his dream of becoming a cricketer, Amir Hussain, did hold his nerves and worked with enthusiasm to train himself as a cricketer. With the aim to play cricket, he started writing, eating food, bathing and other daily activities too with his foot.
Amir’s story is full of struggle for existence and fight against society that looks down upon the disabled and instead of encouraging discourages them. He is courage personified as despite all odds, he never gave up and is today a role model for many disabled in Kashmir.
Rameez Raja, Amir’s brother, wrapped him in a tarpaulin and took him on his shoulder and cried for help. “I knocked every door on way but everyone was scared to see the blood. No one helped me. A woman went to a nearby army camp and got an ambulance and we took him to Srinagar for treatment”, he said. Amir was operated upon in Bone and Joints hospital, Srinagar where his arms were cut. He spent next three years in various hospitals before returning home. “When I was brought home, neighbours suggested my parents to eliminate me”, said Amir.
However, Amir’s parents made it a point that their son makes a mark in his life. “I had to sell major portion of my agriculture land and sawmill to make sure that my son is treated well. I even took loan from bank”, said Bashir Ahmad Lone, Amir’s father.
“We wanted to divert his mind from the tragedy and sent him to school,” said Raja, his brother. “At school, the kids would taunt him and the irony was teachers were reluctant to teach him. They would often advice him not to waste time and sit at home. But Amir’s stoic nature and dedication helped him to stay there and learn”, he said.
“When teachers suggested me to leave the school, I did, but my grandmother encouraged me and sent me school again”, said Amir.
As his quest for knowledge increased, Amir looked for an innovative ways to pursue it. He trained himself to write with his foot. “Initially I found it very hard to write with the foot but I had no other option. I wanted to prove myself,” Amir said.
Amir became his own master. He would struggle a lot in doing routine work like going to toilet, combing his hair, putting up his clothes. But he refused any help from friends or family members. “It took me two years to learn all things myself. Now I do thing easily without anyone’s help,” Amir says proudly.
Despite difficulties, Amir passed his class 10th and 12th examination. He took every difficulty he faced in life as challenge. He learnt swimming from ducks. He took inspiration from Sachin Tendulkar to become cricketer and from M F Hussain to become a painter.
Amir’s talent caught the eyes of experts when he joined the Degree College Bijbehara and there he stunned everyone with his precision. “Everyone was stunned to see me playing cricket in college. Within few minutes everyone was applauding me and I became an icon in Degree College Bijbehara,” Amir said.
But his life as cricketer changed once his talent was spotted by one of the faculty members in the College who later helped him to join J&K National Para team. Looking at his extraordinary performance, he wasn’t only selected in the National Para-cricket team of J&K, but also appointed its Captain.
In Delhi, Amir impressed every one. “We won a lost match against Delhi when batting at 10, he stood like a rock”, said Zahoor Ahmad, one of his teammates.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
