Sonu Golkar

Sonu Golkar has a profile a bit different from others. He has a Master’s degree in Sociology and is putting his knowledge to good use by working with several social organisations. Sonu was born on 5th February 1986 in Bhopal. He was born with normal vision. As a child he played cricket, a game that he loved. When he was 10 years old he developed a cataract in his right eye. The doctors at the district eye hospital in Khandwa examined him and decided to operate. He says the operation failed because a retinal detachment occurred and he lost sight completely in that eye. Worse was to follow. The other eye too was affected and he developed blindness in that eye too. He was declared to be totally blind. He is categorised in B1. He went to a Blind School, the Helen Keller Education Academy, at Indore. He learnt Braile and that helped him to read text books and study. He was a keen listener and picked up quickly what the teachers taught in class. He progressed rapidly through school upto 10th Standard. Then he joined a main stream college in Khandwa and earned his Master’s Degree. he says he contemplated studying Law, but gave up in the second semester. Why Sociology? He has a deep inclination for social work and this degree would help him develop clearer perspectives. Did he face societal challenges when he was declared blind? Yes he says emphatically. The family was aghast and confused. The neighbours were sympathetic, but sympathy does not help. Sonu felt dejected and all alone in the world. Society often discriminates against disabled people. The blind school changed all that. Sonu says that in the school he regained his full confidence that he could become an achiever in society, and he forged ahead with determination and hard work. He saw children playing cricket in the Blind School and he too wanted to play. The induction into Blind Cricket was both challenging and difficult to adjust, but he went ahead with determination and tenacity to overcome the challenge. He played well in the school team. The first World Cup matches that he heard on the radio motivated him and spurred him to practice cricket. He played for the state in 2003. But Blind Cricket did not attract attention in Madhya Pradesh. He heard that Delhi was a happening place for blind cricket and he tried to relocate to Delhi and get a foot into the game, but it did not work out. He gave up in despair and withdrew from cricket. The T20 World Cup spurred him to come back into cricket. He was in Bangalore then, working for an organisation called Leonard Cheshire Disability (LCD). He resigned from his job and went back to Khandwa. There he formed a cricket association for the blind and organised local tournaments, energising the game to greater heights. He formed a Madhya Pradesh team and they played several tournaments. Recognition for his play came in 2015 when he was selected for the England tour. He recalls vividly that on his debut appearance at the Oval, he hit the ball to the boundary in the very first ball that he faced. He went on to score 22 runs in 20 balls in the match. He was part of the 3rd T20 World Cup 2022 winning team and he recently took part in the IBSA world Games 2023 at Birmingham and won silver. There was no looking back. He played in matches in the Asia Cup, the T20 World Cup and now looking forward with determined anticipation to the World Cup 2018 which he says India WILL win. He has been associated with Samarthanam since 2013 when he decided to go to go back to Khandwa and form a cricket association. He says that this association has been very fruitful for him to further his cricketing ambitions. Currently he works for Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) as an Assistant Manager. He says that working in a government organisation helps him to work for the Disability Sector. That’s where his passion drives him.

• Hometown Madhya Pradesh
• Category B1