Asian Para Games Medallist Mohammed Salih Continues His Fight For A Government Job

Mohammed Salih, a 38-year-old visually-challenged chess player from Kozhikode, Kerala, has brought home laurels and medals from multiple national and international level tournaments. Ideally, a sportsperson of his calibre would be receiving acknowledgement and multitudes of opportunities back home. However, Salih was deprived of any such support and had been making a name in the chess world on his own. It has not been an easy journey as there was no stable source of income coming in, and he was not ready to give up on his passion yet.

Bringing Home International Titles

Salih had found his interest in the game of calculations and strategising at a young age and used to compete in matches at school and university levels. Despite his opponents having the advantage of being visually able, Salih used to hold the upper hand in the game, thus winning most of them. His capacity in the game was acknowledged by mentors and teachers, who encouraged him to take part in many more tournaments.

He could never afford formal training sessions for the tournaments and was largely self-taught. Determined to learn his way around the game, he has been competing for over a decade and can simultaneously play the game with ten sighted players. His talents had the potential to be carried on to higher levels, and so, he tried his hand at the 2018 Asian Para Games. Proving his potential yet once again, he won a silver medal for India in the chess tournament.

Returning home as a silver medalist, he was welcomed by the Indian government with recognition and a ₹15 lakh cash reward. "There will be many people appreciating when you win a medal, but not many stand alongside during the struggles you face before and after the win," said Salih in an interview with The Logical Indian. True enough, four years after his big break at the Asian Para Games, Salih is having to pull out of many tournaments due to the lack of funds.

Riddled With Debt

Carrying along titles that brought pride to the nation, this exceptional chess player continues to be neck-deep in debt due to the lack of support and financial aid. Even in the face of such hardships, his passion for the game has not dimmed. He says that it's hard to remain motivated with the kind of struggles he has had to face, but he continues to look forward to participating in the upcoming selection tournaments.

One of those events he hopes to be a part of again is the Asian Para Games 2023, which is held every four years but had to be postponed this year due to the pandemic. To take part in the international game, chess players have to consistently appear at open tournaments to better their game. This also posed a challenge for the self-taught player as appearing in these games conducted in different states of the country would cost him quite a fortune. With no stable income source and burdening pile of debt, Salih's way ahead in the game poses a huge question to him.

Petition For A Job

The kind of appreciation and support that usually comes from the state to a sportsperson never came Salih's way. He was driven all these years by his passion for chess, but to sustain it ahead, he now needs a job and income. Earlier, he was promised a job by the state government after his win at the Para Asian Games, but that promise remains unfulfilled to date.

Salih continues to take his request for a job under the sports quota to the government so that he can provide for his family without giving up on his passion for chess. In his Change.org petition for the same, he mentions how he desperately is in need of a job to "take care of his partner and three children, one of whom is also visually impaired as it's a hereditary condition."

While speaking to The Logical Indian, Salih mentions the support other players from different states have received over time. Players who have competed alongside him at the Para Asian Games received government jobs in different departments under the sports quota. However, Salih's request continues to fall into the state's blind spot.

Salih has been able to make it this far due to the support he had from his friends. It was they who helped him create a petition on the platform and garner social media support for his cause. Through these continuous efforts, the chess player got to meet Member of Parliament (MP) Shashi Tharoor and extend his grievances to him. The MP assured that he would be taking the issue ahead with the state government, and now Salih awaits a favourable response from their end.

Met Kerala's #1 Blind Chess player Mohammed Salih. Dismayed by the lack of support from Kerala Govt. Other state governments give awards, grants & jobs to their blind chess champs but Kerala has been unresponsive to his requests for help. I will take it up w/ ⁦@CMOKerala⁩ pic.twitter.com/eFu9qCu6zQ

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) November 10, 2022

Until then, Salih, the visually challenged chess player of the country, holds dearly on to his dream of securing gold in the Para Asian Games and competing with the Grandmaster himself. He's been training around the clock for the same by analysing videos of previous chess games, playing the game for hours and having a person read out chess strategies to him. With Chess training and the search for a government job going side by side, Mohammed Salih hopes that his request reaches the right ears and would enable him to focus on achieving his dreams.

Also Read: 'Do You Believe In Miracles?': Inspiring Tale Of This Visually Challenged Woman's Journey Into Becoming A Teacher