KUALA LUMPUR – Humanity’s journey is often marked by trials testing the limits of our resilience and spirit. Tragedies, like relentless storms, can shake us to our core, leaving us battered and broken.
Yet, it is in these moments of darkness the true strength of the human spirit shines brightest, guided by the hands of god. This is exemplified by the remarkable journey of national recurve archer S. Suresh.
Tragedy struck young Suresh at just 13 years old when a lorry accident with his father claimed half of his left leg and forced him to depend on a prosthetic leg.
As if fate’s cruel hand was not enough, another blow came in 2010 when Suresh’s cherished younger sister, Karthiyani, was tragically killed in an accident involving a motorcycle and a school bus.
It was against this backdrop of sorrow and struggle that Suresh found solace and purpose in archery.
In 2012, under the guidance of coach M. Puvaneswaran, Suresh embraced the bow and arrow, and the rest is history.
The 31-year-old former world champion is one of the three para archers, including Nur Jannaton Abd Jalil and G. Daneshen, who qualified for this year’s Paris Paralympics.
Making his second consecutive appearance in the Paralympics after the 2020 edition in Tokyo, Suresh secured his spot in Paris by winning a gold medal in last year’s Asian Para Archery Championship in Bangkok.
God-given talent over money
Speaking to Scoop, Suresh emphasised that his faith in god was the driving force that kept him going despite the numerous tragedies he encountered.
He also said that at one point, he nearly quit the sport due to insufficient income but continued his journey, citing archery as a god-gifted talent he did not want to waste.
“After my major accident, I started losing hope in my life and wondered what I would do without my legs. That’s when I started venturing into archery and noticed that I was improving every day.
“I told myself that I wanted to build a career out of this as I noticed that I was earning a good income from it.
“I became financially independent without relying on my parents and bought my first scooter when I was 19.
“I was then scouted by the national team and was told that I could earn more if I participated in the SEA Games and other major tournaments.
“But at one point, the money I started earning was also not enough and I quit the sport for a while and started working in a corporate firm.
“However, my guilt kept haunting me, and I kept asking myself…why should I waste the talent that god has given me by just chasing after money?
“That moment made me realise that I needed to let go of my pursuit of wealth and instead focus on my passion – representing my country in more international tournaments to bring honour and glory,” he said when contacted.
Suresh also hinted that this year’s Paralympics may be his last, in the hope of securing a podium.
In the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, Suresh was eliminated after losing 6-2 to Russia’s Bato Tsydendorzhiev in the 1/16 elimination round.
He was named the National Paralympic Sportsman in 2022 after his historic feat in the 2019 World Archery Championships in ’s-Hertogenbosch in the Netherlands.
The last Malaysian athlete to win a medal at the world tournament was the late Salam Sidek, who took home a bronze medal in the 2011 edition in Turin, Italy.
This year’s Paralympics is scheduled to take place from August 28 to September 8. – April 28, 2024