Para-cyclist Aditya Mehta starts talent search to train injured BSF soldiers

Para-cyclist Aditya Mehta, an Asian Championship medallist, has started his ambitious national training camp to scout for promising para-athletes at the Border Security Force (BSF) Subsidiary Training Centre (STC) in Bengaluru.

Run by the Aditya Mehta Foundation (AMF), the camp will train around 150 upcoming para-athletes—soldiers from the central armed police forces who have sustained serious injuries in the line of duty, said an IANS report.

Since its inception, the initiative has not only been involved in scouting for para-athletes but has also transformed the lives of the crippled and disillusioned troopers. The Indian para-cyclists' team, comprising athletes from the AMF camp, went on to win several medals at the Asian Championships in Bahrain in February.

In its second year, the success of the AMF camp has inspired more troopers to enrol and approach Aditya. AMF intends to train these brave hearts and have them mentored by internationally acclaimed coaches in a week-long training in six para-sporting disciplines—swimming, cycling, badminton (standing and wheelchair), tennis (wheelchair), shooting, and body building.

This camp is very special as it not only helps in giving a purpose to the lives of the soldiers who with unfortunate turn of events were completely disillusioned but it is also helping to explore the talents and evolve them into Indian para-athletes, become champions, and win laurels for India, Aditya said in a statement.

Once the week-long camp ends, AMF will take the selected athletes under its wing, give them further enhanced training, and also fund their dreams of making the country proud in international events.

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