Bengaluru Open: Man with disability sits in protest after horrific experience at the KSLTA stadium

A person sat in protest on the final day of the Bengaluru Open outside the KSLTA stadium.

Sunil Jain, a tennis enthusiast from Bengaluru, had an awful time while attending the Bengaluru Open, a popular tennis event in Bengaluru.

What was the reason for his protest?

Sunil Jain's cause of protest is that the stadium is not disability friendly. Jain, a chartered accountant by profession, has a locomotor disability. He had a horrible experience while trying to enter the stadium and enjoy the matches.

Jain is also the Founder, Trustee and Chief Enabler of the Indian Wheelchair Tennis Tour. He had prior experience with the lack of disability aids at the KSLTA stadium in Bengaluru in previous years. He felt things didn't change and the lack of accessibility was an embarrassing thing for a person with a disability.

Previously, Sunil was carried to watch the match, but he had a meeting with the KSLTA joint secretary Sunil Yajman, who had orally promised for a change, but nothing had happened even after multiple follow-ups. Jain also made an approach to KSLTA during the stadium renovation last November, but despite the formal requests and assurances, no such measure was taken.

On the final day of the tournament on February 26, Sunil went to the KSLTA stadium in hope of a change and better accessibility, but he was rather disappointed as nothing had changed. The ticketing agency had no clue of wheelchair accessibility and offered Sunil to carry him again to his seat.

KSLTA BENGALURU open — (Image Courtesy: The News Minute)

Things took a bad turn when some KSLTA members pressured Sunil to take help and suggested that he be 'put in some place'.

"I refuse to be treated like an object or victim who needs any support or help. I want people and organisations to do what they are supposed to do," Sunil said to The News Minute.

After the fiasco, he sat in protest outside the KSLTA stadium from 5.45 to 9.50 pm. Sunil also demanded a written apology from KSLTA for his sufferings and hopes his protest will wake KSLTA up and the necessary steps will be taken within 'the next couple of months'.

Credit: The News Minute