JOIN USFour young spinners of Bengaluru — Shivil Kaushik (19), Karthikye Bipin Wadhwa (14), Adoksh Hegde (17) and Likith M Bannur (16) — emerged winners of the Anil Kumble's Spin Stars, a search contest for aspiring spinners of the State, but standing tall for sheer fighting spirit was a teenager from Bijapur.
Shankar G Sajjan is 17 and both his arms are withered since birth due to chromosome imbalance but that didn’t stop him from making it to the final round of the contest, winning many a heart along the way.
Shankar didn’t make it to the top three but he received a special mention from the organisers, Tenvic, for his grit.
"I want to be recognized for my achievements and not for my special condition," said Shankar, who is a second year pre-university of Best PU College, Thalikote.
After spotting his early interest in the game, Shankar's father enrolled him in Shahu Cricket Club in Bijapur where he caught the eye of his coach Chandru. "I visit Bengaluru quite often and have good memories of playing few club level matches," said the youngster.
The Indian spin legend Anil Kumble, who is a co-founder of Tenvic, was all praise for the boy. "We will try and support him in the best way. Though I am not sure if he will be in the mix of things of mainstream cricket, efforts will be taken to groom him to make him ready for specially abled group," he added.
The winners of the contest were given a cash prize of Rs one lakh and a one-to-one training session with Kumble.
Former India spinner BS Chandrasekhar, who was invited as the judge for the last round, urged the young talents to pursue their passion with hard work.