Paralysed at 16, Pranav Soorma now aims to become a world champion: ‘Win medals and set records’

Indian para-athlete Pranav Soorma is preparing to compete in the 2025 World Para Athletics Championships in New Delhi, which is slated to be held from September 27 to October 5. However, his journey to the global stage has not been easy at all because of the hardships he faced early in his life. At the age of 16, he met with an accident that damaged his spinal cord and paralysed his body below the waist.

Early breakthrough and national recognition

Even though Pranav’s journey to the top has been marked by many obstacles, his passion for sports eventually set him on a journey that led to international acclaim. Speaking exclusively to Firstpost, the Indian star shared how he was introduced to para-athletics back in 2018 and how he went on to win two medals at the national level in his first year.

“It was back in 2018 when I first learned about sports for disabled athletes. I was in college at that time and had no prior information. I started searching a little and then found out that I could start training near my home in Faridabad with the help of my coach. By 2018, I played at the national level and won a bronze medal,” Pranav shared.

Congratulations to @pranavsoorma on the prestigious Gold Medal win in the Club Throw – F51 Asian Para Games event. His determination and resilience have made India proud. May he keep soaring to new heights of success. pic.twitter.com/bWtwJqeMHT

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 23, 2023

Pranav first gained national recognition after he won a gold medal at the 2022 Asian Para Games, but the real turning point in his career came when he secured a silver medal in the men’s club throw F51 event at the 2024 Paris Paralympics. It catapulted him as one of the best para athletes in the country and even earned him the prestigious Arjuna Award.

Overcoming financial challenges

But Pranav’s journey to the global stage was marked by financial difficulties, his lack of exposure to international competitions, and no proper guidance. Despite these odds, he proved that nothing in life is impossible if one makes up their mind and never gives up on hard work. He went on to achieve significant feats even without a big sponsor early in his career.

“Then in 2019, I played at an international level in Beijing and won a medal there too. But I should mention that my family has no background in sports. I come from a basic middle-class family, so we did not know how to take this further. There were many financial difficulties, and it was very tough without a big sponsor. At one point, I thought maybe I should just get a normal job to secure my life. But perhaps God had some other plan,” Pranav said.

🥈 Pranav Soorma Shines with Silver! 🥈

With an incredible throw of 34.59m, Pranav secures SILVER in Men’s Club Throw F51 at #ParisParalympics2024! 🌟 His determination and resilience inspire us all. 🇮🇳💪 Let’s celebrate this proud moment and cheer for our champions! 🎉… pic.twitter.com/JbFWF5TG0k

— India in France (@IndiaembFrance) September 4, 2024

A turning point in Pranav’s career came in 2022 when he met his coach, Naval Singh. The coach immediately inspired him to aim higher and think bigger. Naval ‘Sir’ encouraged him to dream of medals not just at national events but also in international competitions. Under his guidance, Pranav’s training became more structured and he started winning medals globally.

“He encouraged me to dream bigger. He told me I could win a medal at the Asian Games, first get medals at other events, and break records in Asia. From that point, my serious sports journey started. I compete in the F51 category and train late at night, sometimes till 2-3 AM, and finish by 5 AM. I have made a lot of sacrifices. Life has had many ups and downs, but I never gave up. The real lesson in life is to never give up, stay determined, and keep moving forward. Work with your heart and soul in whatever field you choose, and success will follow.”

The role of family support

Pranav also highlighted the crucial role his father played in supporting his career. His father made huge personal and professional sacrifices to help him train and chase his dreams after he was paralysed. Pranav described how his father even left his private job to focus on supporting his training, ensuring that he could dedicate enough time to sports.

“My father had to leave his private job to support my training. Often, he would come home at 10-11 PM and wake up again at 1-2 AM because I had to leave for training by 3-4 AM. Those were very tough times; he sometimes got only 3-4 hours of sleep. Financially, we were not strong enough, but when I won a medal at the Asian Games, my father fully supported me. That was when he left his job to focus on helping me pursue sports, and we continued moving forward,” Pranav said.

Balancing career as a banker and athlete

Apart from family support, Pranav’s workplace has also played an important role in his journey. Working at Bank of Baroda, he has had to balance professional responsibilities alongside sports training. He said the bank has fully supported him and allowed him to focus on his training and competitions. The bank even recognised his accomplishments and gave him an out-of-turn promotion and cash reward after he won the Arjuna Award.

President Droupadi Murmu confers Arjuna Award, 2024 on Shri Pranav Soorma in recognition of his outstanding achievements in Para-Athletics. His achievements are:

• Silver medal in Paralympic Games (Men’s Club Throw F51) held in Paris, France in 2024.

• Gold medal in… pic.twitter.com/UhY0QhYge5

— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) January 17, 2025

“Balancing professional life and sports is not easy. Sports demand a lot of time, including gym sessions, physiotherapy, psychological training, and mental preparation. I consider myself very fortunate because my workplace, Bank of Baroda, has been extremely supportive. The bank and the staff have always encouraged me to pursue sports and make a name for myself and my country. Their support has been invaluable, and it has helped me perform well,” he said.

“Every athlete feels that they should do better than their previous performances. So my goal is to improve my past performances, correct the mistakes I made, win medals for the country, and set new records,” Pranav concluded as he shared his goals for the upcoming World Para Athletics Championships.