From cricket to Para Table Tennis: How Rishit Nathwani's life took a turn

At the 2025 Khelo India Para Games on Thursday, Rishit Nathwani punched the air after beating reigning national champion Raj Aravindan Alagar in a men's singles SM5 table tennis fixture, much to the delight of onlookers. 

Saddled on wheelchair, the 21-year-old, took in the applause with pride. 

Rishit always loved sport and previously played competitive cricket and kabaddi. 

In 2017, when playing kabaddi with his friends in school, something struck his back. There was internal bleeding and before he knew it, he was paralyzed.

Doctors opined he would never set foot on the field again. The budding cricketer's dreams were crushed in an instance.

Determined to fight

Nathwani, however, was determined to fight back. After patient rehabilitation, he gradually regained some movement in his upper body.

"In two years of rehab, my hands regained power," said Nathwani in a conversation with The Bridge, as his mother-turned-escort heard keenly.

It was during a road trip with his mother that Nathwani stumbled into the world of para table tennis. The duo, by chance, met coach Ashok Pal, who used to run a coaching program for para table tennis players. 

Nathwani was drawn to the sport when told that he could play competitively as an SM5 classified athlete while using a wheelchair. Incidentally, SM5 athletes have a normal sitting balance with arm and hand function and have the highest level of physical functionality among wheelchair athletes.

He progressed rapidly and by 2021, was a National Championship medalist, bagging a silver medal on debut.

At the 2025 Khelo India Para Games, Nathwani received a rousing reception after overcoming the reigning national champion Raj Aravindan Alagar, a member of the Indian contingent for the 2022 Asian Para Games as well as the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

"Didn't think I would beat him today," said Nathwani. "I've been playing for 3 years and losing to him in the national finals every year since. Today, I won.

"Sir [Alagar] used to guide me and say you can beat me. I said sorry to him after the match because I defeated him," he added.

Nathwani later went on to beat Uttar Pradesh's Abhishek Singh in the gold medal match.

It marked his second medal at the Khelo India Para Games, having bagged bronze in the inaugural edition back in 2023.

Support sought

Despite that promise the he has displayed, Nathwani shares that support has been hard to find. 

"They gave nothing in return [after the bronze medal]. In fact they [Khelo India] haven't reimbursed travel expenses from last year," said Nathwani.

Nathwani, who trains at the SAI centre in Gandhinagar, stresses on the fact that he has had no support from his state government either.

"They [state government] will, in fact, tell us that you're faking certificates," Nathwani added, highlighting his plight.

Despite the difficult circumstances, he has his eyes set at the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics. For that, Nathwani needs to compete at half a dozen international tournaments annually to maintain his world ranking.

Without sponsors, the road ahead is difficult.

But Nathwani is optimistic of making the most out of the guidance he currently receives at SAI Gandhinagar.

"I don't think much about past," he said.

"Even when this happened [pointing at his legs], I didn't think much about what to do. Life went on as it should have, [I] didn't take the load and slowly it got better”.

[The statements quoted in this article are presented as told to the writer]