Faces of IIMB: Padma Shri Shekar Naik – A Journey Beyond Barriers to IIMB

ā€œMy 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 thingsā€”a Padma Shri awardee, an accomplished national cricketer, and captain of the Indian National Blind Cricket Team. Achieving everything he has, Shekar believes, ā€œThere 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 challengeā€”he couldnā€™t find a single practice ground in Bangalore. ā€œIt 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. ā€œThat 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 ā€˜Best 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, ā€œNo corporates, nor the BCCI, NGOs, or the government wanted to have me as a valued employee. The Padma Shri canā€™t 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.

ā€œI 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, Iā€™m 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