Remembering Ramesh Tikaram: The athletics Paralympian who started India’s para badminton story

India has won four medals – two gold, one silver and one bronze – in the recently concluded Tokyo Paralympics. Para badminton made its Paralympics debut in Tokyo. But India’s para badminton story started in 2001, when late Ramesh Tikaram, a 1992 Barcelona Paralympian in athletics, represented the country in the World Para Badminton Championship.  

He was also the country’s first para badminton player to be conferred with the Arjuna award in 2002.  

Late Tikaram, who was instrumental in popularising para badminton in India, had dealt with polio since he was two. Last year, the Arjuna award winner died of Covid-19 in Bangalore. He was 51 and survived by wife and two children.

He competed in athletics in the 1992 Barcelona Paralympics Games and later switched over to powerlifting and then to para badminton. He also remained the national coach of the para badminton during the 2006 Para Asian Games and 2014 Para Asian Games was his last continental games.

He was recalled as the father of para badminton in India by his former trainees.

“Tikaram Sir was the father of para badminton in India. We knew him as the first para badminton player to win an Arjuna award, a national coach and sports administrator,” former world No. 1 doubles para badminton player Rakesh Pandey had said.

“My association with Tikaram Sir started in 2005-06. He was the coach in the 2006 Para Asian Games and my last tour with him was the 2014 Para Asian Games,” added Pandey, who had won multiple medals at the Para Asian Games.

It was in 2001 when  Tikaram was an established para athlete and competed in the world para badminton championship in 2001 (Spain). He became the first Indian to win a round. 

As an administrator, he formed Badminton Sports Association of India for Challenged, the sport’s governing body before it became part of Badminton Association of India.

For the past few years before his death Tikaram was not associated with para badminton. He even faced corruption charges from a couple of international players.