J. Jerlin Anika made waves on the current Deaflympics in Caxias do Sul, Brazil, successful three gold medals in badminton. Jerlin secured a gold every in ladies’s singles, combined doubles and combined group occasion.
Successful three gold medals is a large achievement in any sport or event however not for Jerlin as she rued lacking out on a fourth gold on provide. “She just isn't completely satisfied as she missed out on the ladies's doubles gold. She hates dropping and once we have been leaving Brazil, she requested me why persons are congratulating me, I couldn't return with all of the 4 golds,” J. Jeya Ratchagen, Jerlin’s father, instructed PTI.
Jerlin beat Australia’s Okay. Neudolt for the singles gold medal. In combined doubles, she and Abhinav Sharma clinched gold by getting the higher of Malaysia’s Edmund Seng Keong Teo and Wei Ying Boon. Jerlin additionally performed an important position in India’s 3-1 win over Japan 3-1 to win the combined group gold medal.
The highway to success wasn’t a simple one for Jerlin and it was her doting father who ensured that she had a traditional childhood after realising that she couldn’t hear or converse. Badminton opened up doorways as she began exhibiting curiosity within the sport after Jaya Ratchagen used to take her with him to a neighborhood membership the place he used to play alongside together with his mates.
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“She began coaching below coach P. Saravanan at Bose academy in Madurai as an eight-year-old. He used to coach with the traditional youngsters however after seeing her, he began studying methods to speak along with her,” Jaya Ratchagan, who's into small-scale enterprise, stated.
Jerlin’s mom is a home spouse.
Jaya Ratchagen wasn’t conscious of Deaflympics. It was throughout a neighborhood event in 2017 that an official from Madurai district administration instructed him about it. Quickly, Jerlin, as a 13-year-old, secured fifth place because the youngest participant in her maiden look on the 2017 Deaflympics in Turkey. She went on to win two silver and a bronze on the Asia Pacific Badminton Championship in 2018 in Malaysia.
A yr later, she returned with a gold, two silver and a bronze from the World Deaf Badminton Championship in China.
Funding issues
Nevertheless, it was a wrestle for Jaya Ratchagan to supply her with correct diet and sports activities equipment because of lack of funds. In 2019, Jerlin’s prowess in badminton was recognised by HCL Basis’s ‘Sports activities for Change’ initiative and she or he was enrolled as a sports activities scholar below the Energy of One (PO1) My Scholar Mission.
She obtained a scholarship, which helped her handle her kits, dietary and different logistic necessities.
“She obtained a scholarship of ₹3.25 lakh and we additionally supported the journey of her coach and father to accompany her for the Deaflympics. We're simply completely satisfied to play a small position in her success,” HCL Basis director Nidhi Pundhir stated.
The inspiration additionally stepped in when the COVID-19 pandemic broke out in 2020 to make sure that her coaching wasn’t affected.
Quickly, digital classes have been performed, particular permission for her on-court coaching was sought and all these helped her as she emerged as one of many adorned athletes on the Deaflympics final week.
Jerlin has now set her eyes on the world championships in 2023 in Brazil, however her subsequent massive hurdle is the Class 12 board examinations. “She hates research however she should sit for her Class 12 board exams in 15 days’ time, so she is bit nervous,” Jaya Ratchagen stated.
