Para table tennis player Rishit Nathawani always wanted to become a professional cricketer but a devastating sports injury during a casual kabaddi match in 2017 left him paralysed from the neck down.
But Nathwani didn’t lose hope. He turned to para table tennis to continue his sports journey and won the gold medal in men’s Class 5 event at the Khelo India Para Games 2025 here.
“I got hurt in my back,” Nathwani recalls. “There was internal bleeding, which caused my nerves to break and the spine moved a little. This caused paralysis from the neck down.”
The prognosis was grim. Doctors were pessimistic about his recovery, suggesting that he might never leave his bed. But Nathwani and his family refused to accept this fate.
Spending two months in rigorous rehabilitation at the Kokilaben Hospital in Mumbai, Nathwani gradually regained movement in his upper body. His initial goal was to return to professional cricket, but as physiotherapy progressed, he realised his path would be different.
“After my injury, my first goal was to recover fully and get back to professional cricket,” he said.
“I did two years of physiotherapy and recovered a lot, but my legs had
not recovered.”
Para table tennis entered Nathwani’s life almost by chance. During a road trip with his mother, he encountered his first coach, Ashok Pal, who was teaching para table tennis in a small shop. Encouraged by Pal’s belief in his potential, Nathwani began training.
“He told me that I could win the nationals if I played,” recalled Nathwani.
In 2021, at the age of 19, he won a silver medal in his first national tournament, setting the stage for future success.
Nathwani’s immediate goal is to improve his world ranking and then qualify for the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics.
But he understands the journey requires dedication, planning to participate in at least six international tournaments annually to maintain and improve his ranking. Behind Nathwani’s success is unwavering family support, especially from his mother, Vidhi Nathwani.
“When Rishit got injured, the doctors told us that he should think about leaving sports, saying he wouldn’t even get out of bed,” she recalls.
Nathwani and his mother are also advocates of para sports awareness.
“Many para people don’t know about sports they can play. When they watch these games on TV, they’ll realise they can also participate and excel,” Nathwani said.
