By Zubair Qureshi

Srinagar, Sep 27 (IANS): Ishrat Akhtar, who hails from Baramulla district of North Kashmir and accepted her physical weakness as a blessing, has emerged as a role model for many others.

Akhtar has won the honour of being Kashmir's first international wheelchair basketball player. She has represented the country many times at the international and national level and now has also become a motivational speaker. Her words especially help those who are physically-challenged.

Talking to media, Ishrat Akhtar says that on August 24, 2016, she had an accident which broke her spine. After this she became permanently disabled and is forced to spend rest of her life in a wheelchair. She was earlier a healthy village girl until she accidentally fell from the balcony of her house.

After this accident, Akhtar had to go through a lot of difficulties during which she was not sure that she would be able to stand on her feet again. During this time, she also suffered from mental stress, but courage and independence gave her such an opportunity that today she is one in the list of successful people.

Akhtar says that one day she went to the indoor stadium in Srinagar, where the Wheelchair Basketball Federation of India camp was being held, and was selected for the national level.

Akhtar says that she never thought that she could become a wheelchair basketball player and represent her country. She had to go to different states to participate in the championships. She said that for training she had to travel from Baramulla to Srinagar every day because there were many problems due to lack of infrastructure in Baramulla. This was a difficult period for her, but was overcome only when she got the full support from her parents. Her parents always encouraged her and never let her loose heart.

Akhtar said that no work in the world was difficult and if one had the dedication in the heart, a person can achieve anything in the world. She says that she wants to participate in more wheelchair basketball championships in the future and make not just Jammu and Kashmir but the entire India proud.