Prithvi Sekhar rues missing Deaflympic gold, says 'never believed I had anything less'

Do you hear the ‘thwack’ of the tennis racket striking the ball? Or the line judge calling it ‘out’? Or the umpire announcing ‘deuce’ loud and clear? Or simply the crowd clapping and chanting uninterrupted? Imagine being a globally-acclaimed tennis player and not hearing any of it. 

But the country’s first-ever Deaflympic medalist, Prithvi Sekhar, says he doesn’t want to be defined by the disability he has overcome well enough to play at the sport’s highest level. Speaking to Republic Media Network from his Chennai residence, he brushed off a question about his deafness, insisting he does not see it as a disadvantage. 

“I never believed I had anything less and have always accepted things as they came. I was brought up as a normal child with no concessions and never believed I was entitled to any,” asserts a visibly enthusiastic Prithvi. 

A Deaflympic medal treble, PM Modi interaction, and more

The 28-year-old first teamed up with Dhananjay Dubey to clinch silver in the men’s doubles event at the recently-concluded Deaflympics, followed by a bronze in the mixed doubles with Jafreen Shaik, and added a singles bronze medal later. Still basking in the reflected glory of his three-medal haul at the 12-day long event, rather than satisfy his hunger, the performance only whets his appetite for more.

"Yes, it is special. Not only I but all of us were looking for more (medals to win). We could have done better, but tennis like other sports, is how you play on that particular day. But I am happy with three successive wins. Personally though, I felt pressured as my expectations after 2019 (World Deaf Tennis Championships gold medal) have gone up. I was looking to win at least a gold. It didn't happen though," he tells.

Welcoming the Deaflympic-returned athletes after the Indian contingent's impressive show in Brazil's Caxias do Sul, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosted Prithvi and Co. at his residence in the national capital on May 21. Labelling India's feat as an 'unforgettable experience', the interaction between PM Modi and athletes took place with Sports Minister Anurag Thakur also in attendance. 

Recalling the 'life-changing' interaction he has had with PM Modi, Prithvi said, "Oh, that was the moment of my life. A dream come true. The interactions were immensely useful as every word our Honourable PM spoke boosted our self-belief."  

'Never used any leverage of my disability'

Tennis, in all qualms, is an audible sport. The sound of the racket connecting with the ball can tip off the receiver to the shot's spin, velocity, or even direction. 

One may find players often insisting on silence during points so they can hear the ball off their opponent’s strings and identify its direction in a split second. Prithvi, however, makes up for it with his eyes, fine-tuning his focus on the opponent’s swing, how the other player makes contact and the speed and spin of the ball as it keeps racing toward him. 

Nearly a decade after his first tournament in the deaf tennis category, Prithvi is now focused on his strengths and stamina, spewing a spirit that flies high. And that’s how the fervour continues. 

"The only resolution I took was that I shall speak like a normal person and communicate well. I'm happy that I'm there today. Be it school or college or the workplace, I've never used concession or any leverage of my disability. I don't believe in anything less than no one else around me does. I've had an absolutely normal relationship with people with complete acceptability. I compete in the normal category as well which has helped too. I'm respected in my tennis and friends circle for the game that I play and as such no bias anywhere. I wish many like me had the same start with this many opportunities", he explained.

The Chennai native, who observes the way opponents swing for the ball as a way of reading the game, reached career-best ATP and AITA Singles Rankings of 1451 and 15 respectively in 2022. He is fourth as per latest World rankings in the men's singles of the deaf category, while his mixed and men's doubles rankings are 5 and 7 respectively. It is not easy making it in tennis; many players with incredible athletic ability never touch the rankings tally, let alone the ATP. But Prithvi is there, right in the upper echelons of his game. 

From the moment he picked up a racket at the age of eight, he sought inventive ways to read the game he could not hear, but has been hinging on a hearing aid since he grew up. "I haven't done something extraordinary but just a bit to make someone believe that all is not lost," Prithvi smiled as he spoke with a certain diffidence.

Deaflympics: Bias or acceptance?

The country's five-medal tally in 2017 convincingly swelled to 16 this year as India concluded its campaign among the top-ten nations for the first time in history. Dissecting India's amelioration in deaf tennis, he explains, "The awareness (about deaf tennis) has improved by leaps and bounds. The support has grown strongly over the past four years. The parity between normal and para or deaf sports was skewed in the past, in other words, not treated on par. Things have changed a great deal now. All are aware of Deaflympic records, hence there is a better parity now. The support has naturally grown. There is still a long way to go regarding talent identification and quality tournaments in India."

Delineating further into whether the sport is now free from bias, Prithvi describes, "Things have changed dramatically. Deaflympics has gotten its due recognition and hence the results are what we see. The bias is not so much now I would put it as 'lack of awareness' and differently-abled not committing to sports as a career. India is well and truly on the global picture now. I am happy that I have done my bit to enlighten some of the hidden talents that our great country holds in abundance." 

In bygone years, alongside nurturing his promising tennis career, education holds as much importance as sports for the ever-beaming Prithvi, which includes a successful completion of BTech and MBA degree.

His journey may be the one that invigorates the soul about overcoming adversity, but he doesn’t want it to end with this narrative.

He is an athlete, training like any other, and wants to be known for being excellent at what he does.