COLOMBO, Aug. 23 (Xinhua) -- Suresh Ranjan Dharmasena, 35-year-old Sri Lankan top-seeded wheelchair tennis player, is about to participate in the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games next week.

For the past 13 years, he has dedicated at least five hours each day to training in his wheelchair.

"Being an athlete has always been my dream since childhood, but I experienced some setbacks. I finally made it in the Paralympics with Chinese enterprise sponsorship," Suresh said.

Born in Kahatagasdigiliya, a small town in the Anuradhapura district of North Central Province of Sri Lanka, Suresh developed a passion for sports as a child and exhibited remarkable athletic talent during school time.

"I was always the sportsman of my hometown. I've been a big cricket fan since I was five years old and started practicing in athletics and volleyball before I turned 13. I excelled in sports and won many school and regional level competitions at that time," he said.

Growing up during the final phase of the Sri Lankan Civil War, Suresh, like many youths in his neighborhood, aspired to join the Sri Lanka Army to help end the long-standing conflict against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. With his family's support, Suresh joined the 11th Sri Lanka Armoured Corps at the age of 18 despite knowing very well the dangers ahead.

On Feb. 23, 2009, Suresh's life changed forever. While helping his wounded comrades to safety, he saw a mortar heading toward him and managed to jump away, only to fall onto an anti-personnel mine that severely damaged his left foot. Amputation was the only choice to save his life.

"I was only 20 years old at the time. I must admit that it was a bleak period, and playing sport was the last thing on my mind," he said.

This injury led to a four-month rehabilitation when he learned to use a prosthetic leg. He tried his best to focus on the rehabilitation process and look at the silver lining: At least he was alive and could function without help, but he still felt lost about the future.

Luckily, he met Major General (Retd.) Shiran Abeysekara, then a brigadier, who encouraged and introduced him to wheelchair tennis. Abeysekara told Suresh both joining the army and being a top athlete are ways to bring glory to the country. Then he started to learn the sport while adjusting to life with physical challenges.

After years of rigorous training with the help of his coach Jagath Welikala, Suresh's wheelchair tennis skills improved significantly, but he encountered a new problem: He could only participate in tournaments held in his home country and a few neighboring countries, which were not enough for him to achieve higher international rankings and compete on bigger stages.

Starting in 2015, the China Merchants Foundation (CMF) and Colombo International Container Terminals (CICT), invested and operated by China Merchants Group, began regularly funding Sri Lankan wheelchair tennis program, and also helped the refurbishment of two international standard hard surface courts at Sri Lanka Tennis Association (SLTA) and donated custom-made, professional-grade titanium wheelchairs to the players.

With the support, Suresh and his teammates finally had the opportunity to participate in more international tournaments and qualified for the Paris Paralympics and Asian Para Games.

"With the funding, I've traveled to 50 countries worldwide, which was an experience I never dared to dream of before," Suresh said.

Participating in international competitions not only improved his world ranking but also changed his mindset. Previously, he only intended to prove that "Sri Lankan athletes are not inferior to those from other countries," but now he also hopes to make friends with other athletes with disabilities through competitions.

"Competing and encouraging each other with these friends have made me more optimistic and outgoing, filling me with drive and hope for life," he added.

Iqbal Bin Issack, president of the SLTA, said that since Sri Lanka is not a major country in sports, an athlete who reaches the Paralympic stage is a source of pride for everyone.

"We are grateful because none of this would be possible without the help and support of the CMF and CICT," said Isaac.

Zhang Jianhui, CEO of the CICT, said that sponsoring the Sri Lanka wheelchair tennis team has been the CICT's social project for nine years, and most of these players are wounded soldiers from Sri Lanka's civil war.

"We hope to use tennis as a pivot to help them overcome their injuries, boost their confidence, and support the development of Sri Lanka's sports industry," said Zhang.

"My goal is to win a medal for Sri Lanka, and inspire other athletes like me. No matter how tough the challenge, nothing can stop you from achieving your dreams," Suresh said before heading to the Paris Paralympics. Enditem

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