He almost won a medal in the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, missing the bronze by a whisker. Today, he lives in absolute poverty, ignored by a nation. Meet Shamsher Khan, one of our country’s early swimmers, having represented India at 1956 Melbourne Olympics in men’s 200m breaststroke and men’s 200 meters butterfly. A forgotten hero now, Shamsher represented India half-a-century ago when few of his countrymen would have even dreamt of swimming beyond their local pools. Now all of 84 years, Shamsher, a native of Kaithepalli near Repalle in Guntur district, struggles to make both ends meet.The Olympian had finished fourth in the race in 1956, but was not cared for after retiring as Subedar in the Indian Armed Forces. He had also participated in the 1962 war against China and survives on a pittance of army pension hardly fulfilling his medical needs, having had suffered a stroke four years ago. No sportsbody has granted him either a pension or a reward. He is said to have done numerous rounds of government offices for financial assistance, after his house was washed away in the 1990 cyclone. But very little help came his way. Shamsher set a national record in the 200-metre butterfly in 1954 and swept all records at the national meet in Bangalore in 1955, earning himself a ticket to the Melbourne Olympics. The government sponsored the airfare to Melbourne but it was later deducted from his salary. Let us citizens show we can care. I appeal to people in Andhra to find the whereabouts of this hero.
