The New Indian Express ·
Eluru para-athlete races beyond disability, chases dreams
ELURU: At the age of four, Kasse Pavan Kumar lost his right arm in a freak electrical accident. The tragedy changed his childhood, but it did not take away his ambition. With the unwavering support of his maternal grandparents, he rebuilt his confidence and went on to become a national-level para-athlete, a trainee at the Sports Authority of India’s National Centre of Excellence (NCoE) in Gandhinagar and an aspiring filmmaker.
Pavan came to his maternal grandparents’ home when he was just one year old and grew up under the care of his grandmother, Dipalli Sasirekha, and grandfather, Koteswara Rao. His parents, Kasse Ramesh and Vasanthi, hail from Devalapalli near Jangareddygudem.
The accident occurred while residents were cutting down a tree near his home. A branch struck a power line and brought a live electric wire down onto Pavan’s arm. He suffered severe burns and a serious head injury that required surgery. Doctors eventually had to amputate his right arm.
