Lucknow: Struck by polio at the age of three, when only his heart and mind were working, Tushar Nagar, 44, has leaped to a great high in professional career, and now international fame.When he was left bedridden for over a year, with his right hand paralysed, many believed he would never lead a normal life again. Today, the Aliganj, Lucknow, resident, with grit and determination, has scripted an extraordinary turnaround — he is a successful chartered accountant and now ranked world No. 49 in para table tennis.And it started with overcoming challenges like struggling to walk and trying to write with left hand. Though Tushar couldn’t realise his dream of becoming a doctor, he never gave up and successfully wrote his life-chapters.“When polio struck, only my heart and mind were functioning while I was completely bedridden. But my banker father late Madan Mohan Nagar and my mother Purnima didn’t give up. They took care of me and finally I could go to school after over a year,” he said.There was a time, he couldn’t walk even 50 steps at a time. Initially he walked with the help of support and gradually overcame the challenge with the care of teachers and parents. He also practised writing with left hand and became proficient. He was average in studies but always interested in sports.“After completing schooling from Montfort Inter College, I pursued BSc (biology) from Lucknow University with a dream to make a career in medical sciences. However, when I was preparing for the medical entrance exam, a court order barred persons with disabilities from pursuing MBBS. I had no choice but to drop my dream,” he said. Undeterred, Tushar then shifted to commerce stream and worked hard to become a Chartered Accountant (CA) in 2004. Simultaneously, he also pursued law from LU and later set up his own CA firm.Tushar got married in 2012 to an MBA postgraduate Rati Vyas who believes that he can make the impossible possible with his hard work.When Covid-19 pandemic struck and lockdown was imposed, Tushar found “avsar in apada” (window of opportunity in crisis). He started playing table tennis with his wife, who is also a good TT player, on the table he had placed in his office for his staff.Later, motivated by his wife and other family members, he joined professional training for TT at the KD Singh Babu Stadium. Gradually, he started taking part in various tournaments.“I won a silver medal at the UP State Para Table Tennis Championship (April 2026) and a Bronze Medal for India at the 2025 Jordan Para Open,” he said. Late last month, when fresh ranking were announced, he was at 49th rank in world para TT.He is eager to learn and explore more. “My 12-year-old son Vikhyat’s curiosity inspires me,” he added.
