Thirty-four-year-old Amir Hussain Lone nonetheless remembers the day when he misplaced each his palms in a sawmill accident at his father Bashir Ahmad Lone’s wooden chopping mill as an eight-year-old in 1997. Hailing from Waghama village within the Bijbehara tehsil in Anantnag district in Jammu and Kashmir, the specifically abled para captain of the state workforce was within the limelight early this yr when he met cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar throughout the cricketer’s vacation in Kashmir. Final month, Amir additionally performed the primary ball of the Indian Road Premier League aside from batting alongside together with his idol Sachin Tendulkar.
“I nonetheless bear in mind the day once I misplaced each of my palms whereas taking part in close to the sawmill at my father’s mill. Many thought I had died whereas my sister and kinfolk picked me up from the mill. To satisfy Sachin Tendulkar sir and play within the first match of the ISPL was one of many greatest moments of my cricketing journey and self-belief was the important thing behind all these moments,” recollects Amir whereas talking with The Indian Specific after being declared because the model ambassador of a non-public group of schools in Chandigarh.
Along with his father Bashir Ahmad Lone operating a noticed mill aside from proudly owning a small piece of land in at village, a younger Amir would play cricket within the village neighbourhood. It was on a fateful day in 1997 that the then eight-year-old went to provide a tiffin field to one of many labourers on the mill that the teen misplaced each his palms in an accident.
J & Ok Para cricket captain Amir Hussain Lone batting on the left and bowling on the suitable. (Screengrab)
“My mom Raza Begum needed me to take the tiffin and hand it to one of many labourers. Whereas I used to be taking part in, my jacket bought caught within the sawmill and each my palms have been minimize. Individuals round left me contemplating me as lifeless earlier than my sister and kinfolk took me dwelling. Later, a number of the Indian Military personnel helped me to get to the close by hospital the place I used to be operated upon,” remembers Amir.
Whereas he recovered in six months after the surgical procedure, the teen would spend time at his dwelling together with his mother and father and grandmother.
It was in 2000 that Amir began taking part in cricket once more in his dwelling utilizing his neck and shoulder to deal with the bat. Whereas the neighbourhood didn’t help him, the teen would usually stroll to close by cricket tournaments urging organisers to let him play and generally he bought an opportunity to play. “My grandmother was the one who informed me to play. She would throw the ball in direction of me and I’d attempt to use my neck and shoulder. Later, I additionally learnt to bowl utilizing my large toe and second toe of the foot gripping the ball. I bear in mind as soon as I used to be watching Sachin Tendulkar bat on TV at certainly one of my neighbours’ houses. They immediately requested me to depart their dwelling. That’s once I began practising for 4 hours at my dwelling and walked or took lifts to the village tournaments. Generally I bought an opportunity to play and earn some cash for my household,” remembers Amir.
It was in 2013 that Amir registered for a cricket camp within the state whereas attending the Authorities Faculty at Bijbehara. He would make it to the state para workforce in 2015 and later performed for the Indian para cricket workforce too. “Taking part in for the state workforce after which the Indian para workforce was a life-changing second for me. Sporting the Indian jersey identical to my idol Sachin sir meant lots for me,” says Amir.
Sachin Tendulkar with Jammu and Kashmir Para cricket workforce captain Amir Hussain Lone. (Screengrab)
Whereas Covid-19 would imply that he wouldn’t play in tournaments for shut to 2 years spending time together with his spouse Shokey Akhtar and son Imad aside from working part-time in a manufacturing facility on a month-to-month wage of Rs 5,000, it was in February this yr that Amir met Tendulkar for the primary time after his cricketing video went viral over social media. “Sachin sir had seen my video and had deliberate to go to my village earlier than snowfall restricted his plan. He known as me over the telephone and informed me, ‘Amir bhai, aap humse milne aa sakte hain (Amir, are you able to come to satisfy me)? That was the happiest day of my life. Later, I additionally performed together with him in ISPL. He all the time tells me that he will get inspiration from me,“ says Amir.
Earlier than signing off, the para cricketer has one message for all: “Zindagi mein kabhi haar nahi manani chahiye, taqdeer unki badalti han jinke sapno mein jaan hoti hai (We must always by no means settle for defeat in life. Future might be modified if desires have energy).”
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