XTRASPECIAL
Prakash Kundaikar
Prakash Kundaikar has a 40 per cent locomotive disability in left leg. A commerce graduate, living at Nagali, Taleigao, 35-year-old Prakash faced multiple difficulties in life, including, inaccessible environment, transportation issue, limited infrastructure, no reserved parking, inadequate medical care, inaccessible education centre, lack of support services etc. However being a sportsperson, he surmounted all these hurdles and emerged a winner. He also rides a cycle, a two-wheeler and drives a four-wheeler.
“I overcame these hurdles by motivating myself to face these hurdles and making myself more powerful. I learnt from my personal experiences. Motivators like Vishant Nagvekar, Patrick D’Souza and Stany D'Souza have played an important role in my life, and without them it would have not been possible for me to achieve what I have, at any phase of life. I am thankful to them,” says Prakash, a statistical assistant in the Directorate of Panchayat at Patto, Panaji.
“Let's embrace life with our disability, learn from it, and grow together. Let's break down barriers and build a more inclusive world,” appeals Prakash who competed in All Goa Bodybuilding competition in 2016 and 2017 and won gold medal and a silver medal respectively in the disability category. He represented the State in wheelchair basketball in 2021. In 2023-24 Para Sports organised by the Office of the Persons with Disabilities at Cujira Tiswadi, he stood first in discus and shot put, and second in javelin throw. During the Purple Fest 2024 he represented the Goa team in wheelchair cricket.
An ardent sports lover, Prakash has played all sports including cricket, football, volleyball, and boxing. Cricket is his favourite and he also wishes to master karate. He loves cycling and still rides. “In cricket my friends usually send me as an opener batsman as I was very good at rotating the strike rate and in football I was the main back player, like a wall. If there are any sports opportunities for Divyangajans, I am ready for it, ‘Main taiyaar hu,’ he quips.
Prakash studied at Auxilium High School in Caranzalem and Dempo College, graduating in commerce in 2010 and was lucky to get a job in 2009, before he got his degree. “I worked with Portuguese documents of birth and death certificates and had to learn the language, so that I could understand and translate it into English. A tuition teacher tutored me in Portuguese. I continued the job till 2014 and then joined the Directorate of Panchayats as statistical assistant in the planning section. I am into collection of technical data,” briefs Prakash who in 2016 married Sujata Kundaikar, an MBA, and has a six-year-old son.
During Ganesh Chaturthi he plays the ghumat. He likes to engage in innovative activities and takes time out for picnics with friends. Living in joint family with parents, siblings, wife and son, Prakash has no complaints against life. Active in the disabled community, he has fought for the rights of the disabled. He demands reserved parking space for the disabled to park their vehicles or mobility aids like wheelchairs. In general parking lots, there are no reserved parking spaces for the disabled and they have difficulty in bringing out their vehicles, he points out.
Prakash voiced the issues of the disabled at GMC along with friends Vishant Nagvekar and Avelino de Sa. According to him, a full-body photo is displayed on the disability certificate issued by the GMC which is not required. Only a passport size face photo should be enough, he feels. He underlines the importance of accessibility and infrastructural provisions and hopes that 90% work would be easier after these steps. Lack of wheelchair accessibility at public places is the crucial issue and if awareness is created, it can be resolved, he feels.
Mentioning that the awareness has increased after the Purple Fest, Prakash underlines some pending issues like no ground for practicing cricket for the disabled, though Goa Cricket team for the disabled has been formed by the Sports Authority of Goa. “Equal treatment to all is needed in general society and a lot needs to be done in this direction. We get life only once and we must enjoy it, help others and spend it happily,” says Prakash.
