Rugby Play with Muscular Dystrophy Shows the Meaning of Grit and Determination

Photo: Danial Bawthan. Source: Ablethrive.com

Every day more and more people turn into role models for people with different limitations. And, 23-year-old Danial Bawthan with muscular dystrophy is definitely one of them.

Physical limitations and conditions are probably one of the worst nightmares for anyone devoted to a sport. However, this does not stop many people from being able to do their favorite activities. This is the case of Danial Bawthan, a 23-year-old young man with muscular dystrophy who has found his sport: wheelchair rugby.

Although many people do not know about it, wheelchair rugby in Singapore is real stuff, Danial’s team established in Singapore only a couple of years ago, during the month of August 2016. The current team, where Daniel Bawthan plays in, already has 12 members and is led by a captain named Richard Kuppusamy. 

Looking at wheelchair rugby in retrospective

This discipline used to be known as “murderball”, and it was started in 1977, yes, more than 41 years ago, by a group of quadriplegic athletes from Canada. It was created as an alternative to the already popular sport called wheelchair basketball, taking into account there were some players that lacked enough strength to play.

Previously known as ‘murderball’, wheelchair rugby was started in 1977 by quadriplegic athletes in Canada, looking for an alternative to wheelchair basketball for players without the strength to shoot a basketball. The story of Danial begins when he was 4-years old where he was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy, the hereditary condition characterized by the degenerative process the muscles undergo with the passage of time. He started playing wheelchair rugby at the time the sport was set up in Singapore in 2016.

It is worth mentioning that this sport is not limited only to players with muscular dystrophy, but to any player who has loss of function in both upper or lower limbs, making players of murderball range from having spinal cord injuries to hereditary conditions, such as muscular dystrophy.

What is it like to be a wheelchair rugby player?

Danial says one of the biggest physical challenges of being a wheelchair rugby player is surely the number of aches and bruises he gets when playing. It is a rough game, not only for those who play it standing but for everyone involved. Rugby is known as a high-impact sport that is even rougher than football.

Danial comments that the game requires constant turning and pushing on the court so he usually ends the training with a sore back and aching triceps. But in order to mitigate these pains, Danial ensures he is able to keep his body in shape, taking good care of his body with constant physical training, eating well and doing cardio on a daily basis. He says that being in optimal condition is crucial to ensure a proper performance during the matches. Danial says that his main aim is to be able to contribute greatly while being on the court. He also notes that there are split-second decisions that decide the fate of the game and for that reason reflexes are very important.