Sachin Chamaria: India's Boccia Pioneer Overcomes Paralysis to Reach World Stage
When the lights illuminate Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Sachin Chamaria is typically already positioned and focused. With meticulous precision, he aligns his ramp, adjusts it by mere millimetres, and fixes his intense gaze on the white jack ball. In the BC3 classification of boccia, he does not throw; instead, he directs every movement through strategic calculation and seamless coordination with his ramp operator.
A Life-Altering Accident and Unwavering Resilience
At 35 years old, Sachin stands as India's premier BC3 player, currently ranked 19th in the world. However, his journey to becoming the first Indian athlete to qualify for the World Championship in BC3 has been marked by extraordinary challenges. In 2008, while he was in Class 12, a devastating car accident left him paralysed from the chest down. His family, originally from Lakhimpur in Assam, had relocated to Delhi in 1992.
"I could have easily wasted my time dwelling on what happened," Sachin reflects. "But I chose to accept reality and focus on improving my life." Sport became his anchor during this difficult period. He initially began with club throw, earning his first state medal in para games during 2015-16. Despite his dedication, he struggled to meet international qualifying standards, watching Paralympic athletes achieve throws of 30 to 40 metres while his own results plateaued despite diet modifications and intensified training.
"I had to be practical and justify my time and energy investment," he explains, leading him to discontinue competing in that sport. Yet, his dream of representing India remained undiminished. He persisted with therapy and conditioning, maintaining regular training sessions at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.
Discovering Boccia: A Strategic Match
Between 2017 and 2018, Sachin actively searched for another sport that could align with his abilities. Before his injury, he had engaged in chess and practised taekwondo, activities that nurtured his fascination with strategy. In early 2020, just prior to the pandemic, he discovered boccia through encouragement from his therapist and Jaspreet Singh Dhaliwal, president of the Boccia Sports Federation of India.
The game, often described as "chess on court," immediately captivated him with its demand for tactical thinking. At that time, India lacked certified boccia equipment. Demonstrating remarkable initiative, Sachin became the first player in the country to purchase an internationally certified ramp, investing over ₹1.5 lakh. Merely a week later, he competed at the National Championships in Visakhapatnam and clinched the gold medal.
For the past six years, he has maintained his status as national champion in his category and also secured gold at the Federation Cup in Goa. His domestic success, however, was met with tougher lessons on the international stage. At the 7th Fazza Cup in Dubai, he won his opening match 25-0 but then faced heavy defeats against Japanese opponents. "That experience truly revealed the international level of competition," he acknowledges.
International Breakthroughs and Historic Achievements
In 2021, during a competition in Italy, Sachin made history by becoming the first Indian BC3 player to reach the quarterfinals of a World Boccia Challenger event. A transformative week of training with Portuguese coach David Henrique significantly enhanced his technical understanding of the game.
The major breakthrough occurred at the 2024 World Boccia Challenger in Cairo, where he won India's first international silver medal in BC3 and added a bronze in pairs with teammate Sarita Dwivedi. Six months later, in Manama, Bahrain, he secured India's inaugural BC3 gold at a World Boccia Challenger, cementing his rising stature.
His ascent to world No. 19 earned him qualification for the World Championships on merit—making him the first Indian BC3 athlete to achieve this feat. A podium finish at this elite event would secure Paralympic qualification, bringing him closer to his ultimate dream.
Recognition and Impact on Indian Boccia
In 2024, Sachin received the Young Indian Achievers Award from Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and was honoured as the Most Inspirational Male Athlete of the Year by the Paralympic Committee of India. Boccia, a precision sport designed for athletes with severe physical impairments, has faced visibility challenges in India since its introduction in 2016.
Yet, Sachin's journey—built on resilience, strategic acumen, and unwavering precision—has firmly placed India on the global BC3 map. His story not only highlights personal triumph over adversity but also inspires a broader recognition of para sports in the country, bringing him one step closer to the Paralympic dream and the honour of representing the tricolour on the world's biggest stage.
