Phool Singh put up a sterling performance, bagging three gold medals in events like the javelin throw, shot putt and discuss throw, while his colleague Sepoy Khem Singh proudly displayed one gold medal for the wheelchair race and three silver medals in other events such as the javelin, shot putt and discuss throw.

Lance Naik Prem Singh grinned as he received a pat on the back from the Commandant of Bombay Engineer Group Brig. (Dr.) Mrinal Suman at an informal function held at the hospital on Saturday, for winning a gold medal in the javelin throw event.

In all, the team of nine paraplegics sent from the Spinal Cord Injury Centre at Military Hospital, Kirkee bagged six gold medals and five silver medals, a commendable performance by any standards. And it has not been an easy task.

Incidentally, MH Kirkee is the largest orthopaedic hospital in the Armed Forces and the 80-bedded SCI Centre is the largest in South East Asia catering to patients from the Army, Navy and the Air Force.

Says Brig. P S R Aiyer, commandant of MH Kirkee, ``It has not exactly been easy persuading the boys to participate in the sports meet. Firstly, they have their problems to contend with. And the lack of confidence is quite evident as they hesitate to even come forward for such events.'' Brig. Suman however opined that the patients had shown great grit and determination to practise for long hours and the results were enough proof of their hard work.

Mentally and physically scarred C F N Phool Singh of 6 Rajasthan Rifles shudders as he recollected the time when he was bringing up the rear at Imphal, Manipur, when insurgents hiding in the buildings opened fire. A few jawans were killed, more injured and for this brave solider it was a gunshot in the spine which paralysed his lower limbs. He was taken to the nearest military hospital from where he was finally shifted to SCIC, M H Kirkee in March 1994.

Lance Naik Prem Singh of the Signal Regiment who received a massive shock while working on a air conditioner in found himself plunging about 20 feet below to land on his back and finally in MH Kirkee in September 1996. Now that he had won a gold medal in javelin, he is determined to repeat this feat in the next sports meet. Says Lance Naik Subhash Chandran, who refuses to get disheartened despite not winning a single medal, ``For us this kind of practice for the games comes as a relief. It gets quite tedious simply lying on our beds or sitting on the wheelchairs. We read newspapers and take up vocational training in radio and TV repair and tailoring. But quite simply, sports is the ideal medicine for all the inmates,'' he explains.