Srilanka

The accident that created a world champion

Manasi Joshi had just begun a career as a software engineer, when what should have been a routine commute to work ended in a tragic accident. But this moment of horror changed her life in a surprisingly positive way.It was December 2011 and, for 22-year-old Manasi Joshi, a normal Friday morning.She had recently graduated and just started her first job as a software engineer in the hectic Indian metropolis of Mumbai.The house where she lived with her parents was barely 7km (4 miles) from her office, so Manasi would commute to work by motorbike.But that Friday, barely 10 minutes into her journey, disaster struck - as she took a U-turn under a flyover, a lorry travelling in the wrong direction ran over her leg."I was still conscious after it happened. I managed to sit up and take my helmet off. I immediately knew my injuries were serious," she says.People rushed to the spot but no-one really knew what to do."Indians are helpful by nature but they are not very skilled, especially in emergency situations," Manasi says with a wry smile.After waiting in vain for an ambulance, police lifted her on to a "rickety" stretcher and took her to a nearby hospital.However, it was ill-equipped to deal with the injuries to one of her hands, and to her left leg - which was completely crushed. There was no surgeon, and not even an ambulance to take her to a larger hospital."I was so frustrated. I had lost so much blood, and I was losing time," she says.The hospital's ambulance, when it arrived a full two hours later, turned out to be a dilapidated van - a far cry from the "state-of-the-art" vehicle that had been promised. Her 10-12km journey to the hospital where she would finally be treated was torturous, every bump, every pothole, only increasing her agony.

It was only at 17:30 that evening that Manasi received proper medical care - about nine hours after her accident.

Doctors made saving her leg a priority. She was in hospital for 45 days, going into surgery every five to 10 days. But eventually gangrene set in and the medical team had to concede defeat. There was no choice but to amputate her leg.

BeforeWhen she was growing up, studies were always the priority in the Joshi household. Manasi's father was a government scientist at Mumbai's prestigious Bhabha Atomic Research Centre and was determined that his children should also do well academically. That is how she ended up pursuing computer science and becoming a software engineer.

But Manasi was also one of those children who took part in all sorts of extracurricular activities.

"I played many sports like football, basketball and even volleyball. And it was not just sports. I was also exposed to music, singing, art you know how parents want their kids to be exposed to lots of activities," she says.

Badminton was a favourite, though. Manasi's father was her first coach - when she was barely six, he had taught her how to hold a racket and hit a shuttle.

So after her injury, she returned to the sport as part of her rehabilitation.

AfterIn August 2019 in Basel, Switzerland, Manasi created history.

In the eight years since her horrific accident, she had begun seriously pursuing para-badminton, made it on to India's national team, and was now representing the country at the finals of the World Championships.

The final was against defending champion and fellow Indian Parul Parma. Manasi had never won a match against her. But this time, she was confident.

"I was very fit, I was very quick on court, and my hand, my strokes, everything had its own clarity," she says.

As the match progressed, Manasi began to surge ahead of Parma, dominating the game. The last set was a decimation - she won 13 points in a row, and suddenly, seemingly just like that, she was a World Champion.

Image captionManasi keeps some of her favourite medals at her home in Hyderabad - the rest are with her parentsBut how did she make the journey from amputee to para-athlete?

When she describes the days immediately after her accident, Manasi does not look back on them with any real bitterness. Instead, she recounts how her college friends and colleagues flocked to her bedside making her hospital room "the coolest hang-out spot", how the intensive care nurses became her friends, and how an anaesthetist paid her a visit to boost her morale, after being touched by her plight in the operating theatre.

"Trust me, there was not even a single point where I felt something very bad has happened to me. I'll say the worst I felt was when I came home and I looked at myself in mirror and said, 'Oh yeah this doesn't look good!' But then after a few days I felt 'It's OK, it's just a scar it's just a leg.'"

Badminton began as part of a process of rehabilitation to help her walk again with a prosthetic limb, but she began to show exceptional skill. One day she caught the eye of a fellow para-badminton player, who saw her defeat able-bodied competitors at a corporate tournament. He encouraged her to try out for the Indian team, which led eventually to her getting called up

to take part in a tournament in Spain.

Although she didn't win, she did, for the first time, feel the "transformational power" of the sport.

Image captionBadminton was an old friend for Manasi, but she only played it as a hobbyHere were people, some with injuries far more severe than Manasi's, out on the court, playing what she calls "flawless" badminton.

"And they were so kind and generous. They actually came up to me and thanked me for choosing the sport! That was part of the reason I decided to take this up full-time," she says.

It was a chance meeting with legendary Indian coach Pullela Gopichand that truly transformed her career. A former international champion, Gopichand is the man behind India's recent dominance on the world badminton stage - he's coach to world champions like PV Sindhu and Saina Nehwal.

She was working at a bank in the western city of Ahmedabad when Mr Gopichand paid a visit - and she went straight up to him to ask if he would train her.

This story is the third in a series on moments that drastically altered Indian livesYou can listen to Manasi Joshi's story on Outlook, on the BBC World Service - click here for transmission times, or to catch up onlineDownload the Outlook podcastMr Gopichand laughs when I ask him about his reaction.

"She looked like quite a brave girl, her story was very inspiring, I said, 'OK we will look into it,'" he says.

But training a para-athlete was a new challenge. Gopichand scrutinised videos of matches, and even practised playing while limping on one leg to try and get a sense of what it was like for her. Then, along with his coaching staff, he designed a training schedule for Manasi, who he describes as "very focused and gritty".

It was those qualities that got her to the World Championship and the pinnacle of her sport.

Image captionManasi trains in Hyderabad at the prestigious Pullela Gopichand badminton academyWhen I meet Manasi, she is in the middle of an intense training session with her coach, Hari, at the prestigious Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy in the southern city of Hyderabad.

As I watch her play, I can tell that I am witnessing something very special.

It is not just the fact that the lithe, athletic woman on the court is wearing a prosthetic leg. She also returns a flurry of increasingly tricky shots, smashing and volleying with ease.

Afterwards, it becomes evident that Manasi's victory in Basel has turned her into a celebrity.

"Everything has changed. People are recognising me in the streets," she says, laughing.

I travel home with her, and as we enter her apartment complex, a young man stops his motorcycle and, with the engine still running, he hurries after her to ask for a selfie.

Her apartment is filled with mementoes and gifts she has received from fans and there are stacks of greeting cards in the hall.

She shows me a large handmade poster pasted on her bedroom door. It has drawings of shuttlecocks and badminton rackets on it, along with the words "Congratulations Manasi Joshi aunty" written in different coloured crayons.

"This was the sweetest gesture. Even before I came back, my win was all over social media. So the kids of the building pasted this poster right on our front door. I wasn't there so my flatmates took it and pasted it on my bedroom door," she says.

Inside her bedroom, Manasi shows me some of her medals.

There is, of course, the glittering gold World Championship medal. But she says her favourite is a Bronze she won at the Asian games. It has text in Braille and makes a jingling sound when you shake it. She says the amount of particles in each medal differs between Gold, Silver and Bronze, so that each medal makes a different sound. This allows visually impaired athletes to immediately identify what they are holding.

"That is the inclusive design or society I wish to live in. Where we consider everybody even when we give out trophies," she says.

Now, Manasi has set her sights on her next goal - getting chosen for the Paralympics in Tokyo.

She won the World Championship playing singles, but there is no singles event in her disability division at the paralympics, so she hopes to compete by playing doubles instead.

Playing doubles may be new to her, but the one thing she has demonstrated is the ability to excel in unfamiliar situations.

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Showers occur at a few places

Showers or thundershowers may occur at a few places in Sabaragamuwa and Southern provinces and in Kaluthara, Nuwara-Eliya and Kandy districts after 2.00 pm.Light showers may occur in Eastern and Uva provinces.Mainly fair weather will prevail elsewhere.Misty conditions can be expected at some places in Central, Sabaragamuwa and Uva provinces during the morning.

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National Independence Day Held with Pomp Pageantry

The 72nd National Independence Day ceremony that re-affirmed the commitment for strengthening of Sri Lankasovereignty, territorial integrity, economic development, reconciliation and peaceful co-existence, took place at the historic Independence Square at Torrington, Colombo 7 this morning (4) with pomp and pageantry.The colourful national spectacle of the year was dignified by the presence of religious leaders, His Excellency, the President, Gotabaya Rajapaksa and the First Lady, Mrs Ioma Rajapaksa and a host of distinguished invitees, including Hon Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and his spouse, Mrs Shiranthi Rajapaksa, former President, Mrs Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, Speaker, Chief Justice, Leader of the Opposition, Minister of Public Administration and Home Affairs, Admiral of the Fleet, Marshal of the Sri Lanka Air Force, Governor for Western Province, State Ministers, Secretary to HE the President, Secretary to Hon Prime Minister, Secretary to Ministry of Defence, Acting Chief of Defence Staff and Commander of the Army, Commander of the Navy, Commander of the Air Force, Acting Inspector General of Police, Director General of the Civil Security Department, Secretaries to Ministries, District Secretary for Colombo, Additional Secretaries, Ambassadors, Officers and civilians.This yearNational Day celebration, graced by the Russian FederationCommander-in-Chief of the Land Forces, General of the Army, Oleg Salyukov leaves a landmark in the countrypost-war phase of development as a distinguished top-rung foreign military officer who added colour and grandeur to the event at the invitation of his Sri Lankan counterpart, Lieutenant General Shavendra Silva, acting Chief of Defence Staff and Commander of the Army.Todayceremony commenced with the arrival of the President, along with the First Lady Mrs Ioma Rajapaksa. They were formally received by Hon Prime Minister and Mrs Shiranthi Rajapaksa and Minister of Public Administration and Home Affairs, Hon Janaka Bandara Tennakoon. Presidentarrival at the venue, accompanied by mounted Policemen and Tri-service Military Police outriders in a colourful pageant, was heralded by blowing of trumpets.Seconds after that, the Acting Chief of Defence Staff and Commander of the Army, Commander of the Navy, Commander of the Air Force and Acting Inspector General of the Police conducted HE, the President to the main flag post where he hoisted the National Flag, amidst rhythmic beating of Magul Bera (auspicious drums) and blowing of conch shells while 100 school girls from eleven multilingual girls& schools in the province, sang the national anthem, filling all patriotic hearts with pride of being an independent nation, rich with age-old unmatched cultural ethos.Afterwards President from the special dais received the blessings of the recital of ‘Jayamangala Gatha& and ‘Devo Vassatu Kalena& stanzas, presented by a bevy of 100 school girls in the province. It was followed by observance of a two-minute silence in memory of all the patriots and War Heroes who laid their lives for the noble cause of defending the Nation.

The next phase of the dayagenda was the colourful tri-service Guard of Honour, accorded to the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, followed by the customary 21-Gun Salute, presented by Sri Lanka Artillery Regiment.

Next was time for the much-awaited Presidentaddress to the Nation, in which he called upon all Sri Lankans, irrespective of petty differences, to rise to the occasion and jointly help overcome all the challenges on our road to recovery. His Excellency also expressed his heartfelt gratitude towards everyone who sacrificed in achieving the freedom we enjoy today.

Soon after his address, the smart parade comprised of tri-service Officers and Other ranks, Police and the Civil Defence Service personnel in their respective ceremonials was reported by the Parade Commander, Major General Mahinda Mudalige, Commander, Security Forces - West to the Chief Guest who took the Salute in accordance with military traditions.A total of 5988 troops, Police personnel and Civil Security Department personnel attired in their ceremonial dresses afterwards began their march-past, according their salute to His Excellency, the President, the Chief Guest on the occasion.Rhythmic cultural troupes, made up of well-known artistes, school students and others added special colourfulness to the whole parade as the dayprogramme drew to a close. These cultural dances were from different areas in the Western province.Religious dignitaries of all denominations and a massive crowd of spectators witnessed the National Independence Day proceedings.Here follows the full text of the President's address to the Nation;Most Venerable Maha Sangha,Other Religious DignitariesHon. Prime MinisterHon. SpeakerHon. Chief JusticeHon. Ministers, Ministers of State and Members of ParliamentHon. GovernorsH. E. the Ambassadors and High Commissioners

Secretary to the President and all State OfficialsChief of Defence Staff and Commander of the ArmyCommander of the NavyCommander of the Air ForceInspector General of PoliceDirector General of the Department of the Civil SecurityDistinguished InviteesWar HeroesAll Sri Lankan brothers and sistersBeloved children

Sri Lanka is a Unitary State. It is a free, sovereign, independent and democratic Republic. On this occasion when we celebrate 72 years of Independence after nearly 500 years of imperialist colonial rule, I address you as the Head of the State with a pledge to further strengthen your freedom. I pay tribute to all Sinhala, Tamil, Muslim, Malay and Burgher leaders who dedicated themselves to achieving and ensuring this Independence. Every citizen living in Sri Lanka has the right to live freely and securely. We will always ensure their right to think freely, hold independent opinions, and express themselves without any hindrance. We will always respect the right of any citizen to follow the religion of his or her choice. Every citizen has the right of free association and of free assembly. We will always defend the right of every Sri Lankan citizen to participate in the political and governance processes through his or her elected representatives. We consider all these as rights of human beings that no one can challenge.

There are several domains that need to be maintained in equilibrium for democracy to function properly. Maintaining the balance of power between the executive, the legislature and the judiciary is very important in this regard. There needs to be a clear consensus on the responsibilities of the central government and decentralized authorities in the devolution of power. The responsibilities of the civilian and military establishments need to be clearly understood, and we must always remember that citizens have individual as well as collective rights. Coordination between the State and the public is integral to this. Following Independence, every leader who came to power in this Republic was elected through universal franchise. As the current Head of the State elected through the popular vote, I am ready to work with the utmost dedication for the betterment of the country and its people during my term of office.

In a democracy, when the leader is elected following a legitimate process, he becomes the President of all the people of the country. During his term of office, he must serve the entire Sri Lankan people. He is not bound to serve only the interests of the people who voted for him. I have the vision that I must serve as the leader of the country looking after all citizens rather than serve as a political leader concerned only about a particular community. As the President today, I represent the entire Sri Lankan nation irrespective of ethnicity, religion, party affiliation or other differences.

A strong executive, a legislature and an independent judiciary is essential for the well-being and advancement of any democratic society. If, for whatever reason, there is a loss of public confidence in any of these key institutions fundamental to the functioning of a country, that can give rise to anarchy within the country. Therefore, all such stakeholders must perform their role with the powers they have been granted for the welfare of the country and for protecting the sovereignty of the people with a national vision.

I am committed to working towards fulfilling the needs of the people of this country. That is my responsibility and my duty. I do not envisage public officials, lawmakers or the judiciary to impede my implementing this commitment. I not only respect your freedom, but I will work towards improving it and guarantee the political and economic freedom in a truly democratic country.

Some limitations on the freedoms of the people have arisen because of the way public administration has evolved over time.Those rules and regulations that have been enacted without adequate study and coordination have led to the public facing considerable harassment and inconvenience. This has led to various irregularities and corruption. Losses to the public in terms of time, resources and livelihood opportunities are enormous.

We must re-examine the need to obtain licenses for things that affect the day-to-day lives of the people. We must refrain from imposing unnecessary restrictions on the majority of the people; instead we must swiftly enforce the law against the minority who transgress it. We must give our people the opportunity and real freedom to live law abiding, disciplined and virtuous lives.

Outdated laws, regulations, taxes and charges that prevent people from freely undertaking self-employment, traditional industries or businesses need to be revised swiftly.We will work towards removing unnecessary restrictions imposed on the public to better ensure their right to live freely.

Sri Lanka is a country with an ancient history. It is a country that has been nurtured by the Buddhist philosophy, and a country that has been a haven for people of all ethnicities and religious beliefs. During my term of office, I will guarantee the freedom of all persons to follow the religion of their choice.

In the Buddhist philosophy, our leaders always have been advised to ensure a lawful, just and fair governance where no citizen is discriminated. I am committed to protecting and nurturing the Buddhist philosophy of this country during my tenure.

The public will only achieve true freedom when social and economic inequalities are minimized. All citizens within a Unitary State should have equal rights.

Even today, there is a large gap between the haves and have nots in our society. The facilities that are available in our urban centers are lacking in rural areas. Education facilities are not equal in all areas. Healthcare facilities are not equally dispersed. Job opportunities have not spread to all regions. These inequalities are not due to racial or religious reasons. These are common problems that the country faces. In strengthening the ability for people to live freely, we must first address the economic problems that affect the public.That is why the eradication of poverty is a priority of our Government.

Thirty years of conflict and various other factors have delayed the progress of development in our country. We can no longer afford to waste time. We will act to accelerate our development activities in line with new trends in the global economy by making appropriate use of our countryunique geographical location, natural resources and human resources.

An efficient and corruption- free Public Service is essential for the development of a nation. The public administration and governance must function in a proper manner so as to grant people the maximum benefit of their freedom.The entire public administration must accept responsibility for this.

If due to terrorists, extremists, thieves, thugs, extortionists, women and child abusers, there is impediment to ordinary life of the people, then the people will not be free. We have paid special attention to strengthening the National Security and Public Security. We will not allow extremist organizations that pave the way for terrorism to further function in the country.

Parents will not be free until their children are liberated from the drug menace that has spread throughout the country. The public will not be free as long as there is corruption in state institutions. Therefore, we will strictly enforce the law to eliminate all social hazards that can impact ordinary social life. The reforms required to increase the efficiency of the law enforcement agencies in order to accomplish this are already being carried out.

I wish to fully strengthen the freedom of people to think and to write freely. It is then that visionaries and quality works of art will be created. My government is always ready to tolerate and accommodate opposing views. The media has complete freedom today. We have ensured that everyone has the right to freely express themselves.

Social media can pose new challenges to democracy. Spending more time online, often with complete strangers, creates situations where people are misled by false information resulting in their swiftly believing the worst of those who bear different views.

I request everyone to act in accordance with oneconscience. Always think about the country. Think about your fellow citizens. Without thinking only about political requirements, think carefully about whether your actions and your words will benefit or harm the country. However, if your conscience tells you that the government is moving in the wrong direction, you always have a duty to point this out boldly.

We must always respect the rule of law. The public will get real freedom only when the law is fairly and equally applied. My government has taken steps to change the culture of political interference in legal matters.

We have many challenges ahead of us. We need everyonesupport for the efforts taken by the government to overcome them. The Policy Statement I placed before you comprises an action plan that will allow us to overcome the challenges before us. It is our expectation to create a prosperous nation through this. Only the present generation can realize this hope on behalf of future generations. I request all Sri Lankans to join with us in accepting this responsibility that history has bestowed upon us.

I wish you all a prosperous future !

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Development and environmental protection should go hand in hand

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa says that the development process and environmental protection should go hand in hand for the betterment of the country and the future generations. ‘Everyone should pay attention to conserve biodiversity in the process of development. Inappropriate development activities have led to environmental degradation and wetlands destruction. We are losing out on many benefits received from animals and plants. Culture is also destroyed in parallel to the destruction of nature. Enforcement of rules and regulations alone cannot change this situation. Public cooperation as well as understanding regarding the environment is of utmost important&, the President pointed out.

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Google Doodles with Independence Day

Google celebrated Sri Lanka72nd Independence Day today with a Google Doodle featuring the lion and three colours of the national flag.Google periodically changes its doodle to mark a historic occasion.Accordingly, the user can view the google.lk and google.com home pages in Sri Lanka

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Fulfilling the needs of the peopleis my duty-President

In his addresse at the 72 Independence Day Ceremony today, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said that he doesn&t expect any interference from public officials, legislators or the judiciary when fulfilling his duties and responsibilities to the people.President Rajapaksa said fulfilling the needs and requirements of the people was his responsibility and the duty.

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