Faces of IIMB: Padma Shri Shekar Naik – A Journey Beyond Barriers to IIMB
āMy journey at IIMB started in 2012, during the first-ever T-20 World Cup,ā says Shekar Naik, Program Administrator at IIM Bangalore.
Shekar is many thingsāa Padma Shri awardee, an accomplished national cricketer, and captain of the Indian National Blind Cricket Team. Achieving everything he has, Shekar believes, āThere is only ability in disability.ā
The inaugural Blind World Cup T-20 featured participation from over nine countries. Leading up to this significant event, Shekar faced a challengeāhe couldnāt find a single practice ground in Bangalore. āIt was then that IIMB came forward to provide us with their cricket ground. What followed was a rigorous 50-day coaching camp on campus, thanks to an initiative by the then-student union.ā The result? India won the first-ever T-20 World Cup against Pakistan. āThat experience ignited my dream of working at IIMB,ā he reflects.
With two championship victories in the T-20 and ODI World Cups under his captaincy, along with a Padma Shri and a 2017 National Award from the President of India for āBest Sportsperson in the Field of Disability,ā Shekar focused on building a support system for specially-abled cricketers, channeling his passion into his next endeavor.
To his surprise, he said, āNo corporates, nor the BCCI, NGOs, or the government wanted to have me as a valued employee. The Padma Shri canāt feed me, right?ā he remarked candidly.
It was then that Shekar once again crossed paths with IIMB, joining as a Program Administrator and beginning a new chapter in his journey in 2021.
On his experience at IIMB so far, Shekar shared a special anecdote.
āI started my cricket journey in 1997. After 19 years, in 2016, I decided to focus my efforts on nurturing young, budding talent. That is when I founded my own cricket academy, the Shekar Naik Foundation, where I train visually impaired cricketers using innovative and accessible technologies. My goal is to impact at least 100 visually impaired cricketers every year. Over the past five years, I have led 11 coaching camps, and this year, Iām proud to say that I approached IIMB once again for their cricket ground, and they wholeheartedly supported my independent initiative.ā
Speaking on how institutions can improve to better support people with disabilities, Shekar advocated for a reevaluation of built-in barriers, urging institutions to recognize disability as an essential and valued part of the human experience.
Source: IIMB Digest