Former racer J.D. Madan in top gear as para table tennis player

In the early and mid-2000s, J. D. Madan was a hugely scintillating star on the car racing circuit, revelling in the intense pressure at the Irungattukottai track in Sriperumbudur during the National racing championships.

Madan was destined for bigger things when he became the National champion in the Esteem car section at the age of 26 in 2003. But tragedy put paid to that possibility. He met with a near-fatal road accident in 2007 in Mumbai that turned his life upside down. He was paralysed waist down.

Not one to be cowed down by circumstances, Madan soon found purpose in life.

In early 2021, Madan started playing table tennis, and as a veritable sportsperson found success in it as well. He went on to win medals in National para table tennis tournaments and is now ranked No.2 in India in Class I (wheelchair athlete).

Recently, he won multiple medals in ITTF events in Taipei (Future) and Kaohsiung (Challenger). In Kaohsiung, he won silver.

Madan is happy that para table tennis is growing in India, but feels it still has a long way to go.

Para TT in India, according to the 48-year-old, is growing but not yet at the international level. “We have only Bhavina Patel and Sonalben Patel at the international level. Our grassroots structure is quite good, it is growing,” he says.

The difference between top countries and India who do well in para TT is the absence of a strong programme and exposure. “Countries such as Korea, Japan and Thailand have a very strong programme for para table tennis. Actually, it’s like a job. They give them a salary. They practice everyday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the National Training Centre. We have a long way to go,” says Madan.

Table Tennis Federation of India said Madan is making good efforts at providing the best for its paddlers. “They are taking players internationally twice a year minimum,” he says.

A resident of Alwarpet, Madan loves the security the neighbourhood provides, but rues the complete absence of space for pedestrians.

Madan is not just a champion paddler. He has been active in ensuring the lives of differently abled persons change for the better.

He was part of an NGO called Disability Rights Alliance that has completed big projects with Chennai Corporation. “One project that we associated was the beach (wooden) pathway for differently abled persons and for every other user on Marina and Besant Nagar Beaches,” he said.

On and off the sports field, Madan continues to make an impactful change.