International Day Of Sign Languages Celebrates Four Inspiring Achievers From Bhopal

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): To mark the International Day of Sign Languages, Free Press brings the inspiring stories of four extraordinary individuals from Bhopal who refused to let hearing and speech impairment define their boundaries. Through grit, family support and relentless dedication, they have represented India in international sports and created educational avenues for special-needs children. Excerpts: Striking gold in taekwondo Kanishka Sharma (18), a deaf and speech-impaired taekwondo athlete represented India at the Tokyo Deaflympics 2025. She also represented India at 10th Asia Pacific Deaf Games in Malaysia (2024) and earned medals at national-level championships. “We first realised that she can’t speak or hear when she was 2-yr-old,” her father Kapil Sharma said. They admitted her to Asha Niketan Higher Secondary School where she is studying in Class 10 now. “Once we discovered her sporting talent, we decided to encourage her. I closed my photography business to dedicate myself fully to help her realise her full potential. I feel great when I am referred to as Kanishka’s dad,” says Kapil, who is also learning sign language to communicate more effectively with her.