“I have been taking part in marathon since its inception four years ago. I have been participating in the wheelchair event over a distance of 2.5 kilometres, but I think that distance and the race has failed to showcase our talent,” says Satyaprakash Tiwari, who has won 13 medals in international events, including a bronze at the 2006 Asian Games.

“In our race, different kinds of people including those on three-wheelers and crutches also take part. We are athletes of international repute and I feel the race and its distance is not doing justice to our calibre,” adds Tiwari, who had lost both his legs from below knees in a local train accident in 1981.

“I should be allowed to compete in the half-marathon over a distance of 21 kilometres. There I think I can show what I’m capable of,” says the 41-year-old Ghatkopar resident who had won medals in events like running, badminton, tennis and discus throw.

Tiwari’s friend Manoj Khaire—a Worli resident who has a deformed right leg due to polio—in fact met the organisers last year. “They had promised me that something would be done next year, but even this year the organisers aren’t ready to provide us the opportunity,” said 41-year-old Khaire who has six international medals in his bag.

“The half-marathon that they want to compete has a very steep bridge in its way at Peddar Road,” says Vivek Singh of Procam International, the organiser of the race. “It requires special training to climb that bridge and the kind of wheelchairs these athletes are using are not the ones suitable for such events. Our race director Hugh Jones feels it could be very dangerous for them. Therefore, we can’t allow them to compete in that event,” said Singh.

Tiwari, however, has not lost hope. “I admit that it could really be risky for us but we also have expensive wheelchairs which we have been using and winning medals in international events. We can use them for such races. We should be given a chance to show our strength over the Peddar Road bridge. I’m sure we can do it. I understand this year they can’t allow us trial runs at this short notice but I will officially request them in advance next year. I hope we can prove them wrong,” says Tiwari.

And these disabled athletes just don’t want to prove a point about their capacity but they also want to send across the message to everyone. “We want to show all our able and disabled countrymen that if we could participate in the half-marathon, they could also compete. The only thing required here is will power,” adds Tiwari.