"I didn't know what life had in store because it was that serious" - How Palak Kohli overcame multiple adversities to chase Paris Paralympic dream
Overcoming a series of seemingly insurmountable hurdles, Palak Kohli is on the threshold of making a second successive appearance at the Paralympics.
After becoming the youngest athlete in the world to qualify for three categories in the para-badminton event in Tokyo, Palak was diagnosed with a bone tumour in 2022.
Despite doctors not being able to guarantee her a normal lifestyle after the ensuing surgery, the player from Jalandhar scripted a remarkable comeback.
Over the course of an emotional interaction with Sportskeeda, Palak Kohli described the excruciating circumstances she dealt with to chase her Paralympic dreams for a second time.
"Suddenly in 2022, I was diagnosed with a bone tumor which forced a major change in my lifestyle. It was a major turning point in my life. I didn't know what life had in store because it was so serious," Palak Kohli stated.
"We visited many doctors and we didn't know the next line of action would be because the doctors were not sure what it was. They could not guarantee me a normal lifestyle post surgery and post my prevailing health condition," she explained.
"For them to commit that I could make a comeback in sports was something very difficult. So I went through a very tough phase of not playing for one-and-a-half years," Palak added.
A phenomenal comeback at the 2023 BWF Para-Badminton World Championships which was also a qualifying tournament for the Paris Paralympics is an achievement the youngster is proud of.
"Then, to come back in 2023, and start with the tournament that was the qualification tournaments for Paris, where all the athletes from all over the world are coming and are playing at their best - to finish in the top five and to make it to the Paris Paralympics was great," she affirmed.
"Badminton is my passion and playing the sport makes me feel very happy. I didn't know how things would turn out (after my diagnosis) and what the next day would have in store for me. But I wanted to play since playing gives me happiness. It's my passion. It's my first love," said Palak Kohli resonating a distinct sense of joy.
"There are lots of ups and downs in an athlete's life" - Palak Kohli
After clearing the hurdle of making a comeback, Palak faced a new challenge after being down with COVID before the Hangzhou Asian Para Games.
"I made it to the Asian Para Games. Unfortunately, I got COVID and I had other health complications as a result of which I could not compete at the Asian Para Games," said Palak Kohli who is supported by the Welspun Group.
"There are a lot of ups and downs in an athlete’s life. And you never know what’s next. There are certain injuries, there are certain health complications, which one can get into, and which become a barrier for you to perform at your best," she said pausing for breath as she delved deep into the subject.
"So, I think that's something that was pretty challenging. But I think we need to have that mental strength to overcome those obstacles and definitely to perform at our best and to come out of those challenging situations as well," the ebullient 21-year-old asserted.
Off-court controversies, not of her own making, also caused some angst to Palak who took it upon herself to take on a certain athlete who made it to the Para Games despite not being disabled.
"There were some classifications done. And an athlete who was not even disabled and had some tampered documents got entry into Asian Para Games at the very last moment. It was also very surprising," she revealed.
"I had also filed a court case regarding the above. That girl got disqualified and was ruled not eligible for playing para-badminton as well. We are athletes who are playing with a disability and we are performing at our best to play the sport in a manner that is clean, which is honest," she stated with a level of maturity far beyond her age.
Palak is all praise for coach Gaurav Khanna who was recently conferred with the Padma Shri for his distinguished service in the field of sport. She elucidated how the renowned para-badminton coach's academy was run and how the athletes benefited from the enterprise.
"We have an academy which is the Gaurav Khanna Excellia Badminton Academy, which is the only dedicated academy for disabled athletes. And we have athletes from different states, different cities staying over here, staying together, eating together, and training together," Palak Kohli stated.
"So, we all have specific slots, depending upon everyone's individual plan and strategy. So that is how our sessions are being prepared. We have different time slots for different sessions, like different batches, and we also look after each and everything. And he's here with us 24/7," she stated.
Palak Kohli, who was born with an underdeveloped left arm, credited the academy for helping players win a flurry of medals at the international level.
"And that is the reason why India is winning so many medals in all the international tournaments and in the major events like World Championship, Asian Games, Tokyo Paralympics. We will continue to do the same in the coming Paralympics, of course," said Palak gazing into the crystal ball.