Banker Pranav Soorma’s inspiring journey from spinal injury to gold in Para Asian Games

By Saurabh Duggal 

Pranav Soorma, a 29-year-old banker from Faridabad who, at the age of 16, faced a life of paralysis from a spinal injury, defied the odds with an inspiring mantra: “Life is when we seize every opportunity, extract our best, try something new daily, and do what we love” and scripted a remarkable journey by clinching gold in the men’s club throw event in the ongoing 4th Para Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. 

Pranav registered a throw of 30.01m for a new games record to win gold, while Dharambir Nain and Amit Saroha, secured silver and bronze, respectively, making 1-2-3 for India. 

“It’s a great moment for me and I owe this gold medal to my family and coaches, who motivated me to live a dream even in a wheelchair,” said Pranav, who is an Assistant Manager with Bank of Baroda.

In 2011, Pranav's life took a tragic turn when a cement sheet fell on his head, resulting in a severe spinal injury. He spent six months in the hospital and was informed that he would never walk again. It took several years for him to accept that the wheelchair would be a lifelong companion.

But it was his positive approach that kept him going strong despite adversities. After being confined to a wheelchair, Parnav scored 91.2 percent in his 12th board, pursued post-graduation in commerce from prestigious Delhi School of Economics, secured a job of an Assistant Manager at Bank of Baroda and opted sports as a career.

A former cricketer and roller hockey enthusiast, Pranav rediscovered his passion for sports, this time in a wheelchair. His first experience with wheelchair sports was in rugby as part of his rehabilitation. He then participated in the Mr. Wheelchair India event in 2017, earning the title.

In 2018, he connected with former Paralympian Girraj Singh, which sparked his interest in para athletics and also got him introduced to a former athlete-turned-coach Narsi Ram. 

His father Sanjeev quit job in the private sector to support Pranav's sports career, acting as an escort during training and competitions.