Hyderabad's Sai Deepak aspires to bring taekwondo Olympic glory to India

Hyderabad: Consider it providence or a stroke of luck, but sometimes it may come as a veiled blessing to fall ill or be given full bed rest. It can help unlock latent creativity, as some well-known authors and painters have done, or it can change the mindset of the' patient' and move him into a career-changing alternative. That's also happened in athletics. This has happened in sports, as well.

To this special league belongs Hyderabad's B Sai Deepak Patel, who has become the proud owners of four individual Guinness World Records in Taekwondo from being at home recovering from a severe injury to his right leg, a tribute to his perseverance. “During my college days, I sustained an injury on my right leg. I was at home for weeks at a stretch. I became restless and that’s when I decided to do something. I chose to make Guinness records and bring laurels to the country.”

So determined was he that the first record was 142 full contact elbow strikes (alternate elbows) in one minute in November 2017. Buoyed by the successful entry into the record books he was that just a month later he not only attempted but made a second record with 175 one leg full contact knee strikes in three minutes.

After setting two records he aimed at going forward. However, the hour of glory was somewhat marred when his next two attempts-most single elbow strikes in a minute and bursting most number of balloons with the two-leg split kick, failed to make the grade.

"I wanted to break another equally challenging Guinness World record after winning a silver medal at the British Open Taekwondo Championship 2019."

Through panache, he achieved it. The third record while wearing five-kilogram ankle weights, was one leg full contact knee strikes in three minutes. He made 87 and set a new record thus effectively lowering Irfan Masood's 54 strikes. On December 3rd he set his fourth record and instantly devoted it to women and their safety the most side lungs in one minute, 59.

According to Deepak, self-defence methods should be integrated into the school curriculum and make it mandatory for girls to be prepared to deal with goons and ruffians when they attempt a physical or mental assault. He also wished to change people’s perception of martial arts.

In a befitting salutation, Sai Deepak Patel points out that he will remain indebted to Grandmaster M Jayanth Reddy, his mentor and 29-time Guinness world record holder, for defining his career and offering a better outlook on life.

The 23-year-old hopes to make it to the 2024 Olympics, bringing to India international honours and helping to boost Taekwondo's popularity in particular and martial arts in general.