Fancy meeting a tennis player who has pitted his skills against opponents in numerous grueling international tournaments, but has yet to see the soles of his shoes even slightly worn out.

Nope, this is not about sturdy tennis shoes, but about o­ne man's love and dedication for a game that has changed his life.

A Thangarajoo, 32, was born o­n a plantation in Sungai Petani, Kedah. His rubber-tapper parents took great pains to raise their children o­n their meagre wages.

When Rajoo - as he is known to friends - was three months old, he was stricken with polio. The disease severely affected his legs, robbing him of the ability to walk.

He went o­n to become a national wheelchair tennis player, despite a topsy-turvy ride to the top.

"Growing up o­n an estate had its good moments. Life was simple," recalls Rajoo who has an enviable jovial disposition.

He jokes about his disability with ease - the o­ne about his tennis shoes never fails to put able-bodied acquaintances in a dilemma o­n how to react.

He says he has come to terms with the disability, but concedes that it has not been easy to chalk up achievements.

"It's especially tough when you are a kid. It makes you really sad to see other boys running and jumping while all you can do is sit an watch."

As a child, whenever he felt sad about his condition, he would venture to the nearby temple and sleep there for a few hours.

"Sleeping in the temple always made me feel better, it eased the burden a little"

Since his family could not afford a wheelchair, he was forced to crawl o­n the gravel and dirt roads in the estate. Bruises were common.

"As a child, you don't really care. All I wanted to do was get out of the house and join the others in their games."

Passion for sports

Rajoo has always harboured a passion for sports. Though his disability prevented him from indulging in his first love - soccer - he nevertheless was determined to be a part of it.

"When I was a kid, I was the manager of a soccer team made up of other boys from the estate. They were terrified of me because I would shout and throw things when they missed a shot or fumbled."

However, education never made it to the top of his list of priorities back then. He o­nly completed Standard Two and during this period his brother had to carry him to school and back.

Although today he regrets not having a proper education, this spirited individual is determined to overcome this shortcoming as well.

The simplicity in Rajoo's life came to an abrupt end at the age of eight when a family friend convinced his parents to send him to a centre for disabled people in Kuala Lumpur.

"I was really scared and I cried the whole way since it was my first time away from home. I didn't know where I was going and what they were going to do to me."

When he arrived, he was shocked by what he saw.

"I had never seen or heard of a wheelchair before. I was amazed by it, especially when people moved around so freely without the need to crawl," he says.

"Furthermore, I never saw so many disabled people before. The o­nly such person I knew until then was a speech impaired boy back home."

After shedding many tears, Rajoo finally settled down in his new home where he spent the next four years undergoing painful corrective surgery to his legs.

At 12, he returned to the estate and soon after received a wheelchair from the local MIC branch amidst much fanfare.

"People delivered speeches and a crowd gathered at the local temple to watch me receive the wheelchair. I was not disturbed by the attention, since I was overjoyed with the idea of getting the wheelchair which helped me explore the entire estate."

Rajoo spent another two years at home before returning to the centre to undergo a tailoring course.

"This time around I did not cry. Earlier, I could not understand why my parents sent me away but now I am grateful that they did....it was for my future. Otherwise, I would have been leading a worthless life."

During the next four years, he participated in numerous sports such as wheelchair races and basketball.

First job

After completing his course, Rajoo briefly stayed at another centre in Klang before landing his first job at a printing press in Kepong. He was paid RM180 a month.

He stayed o­n the premises with another disabled friend from Kedah whom he regards as the sister he never had.

"Life here was difficult but I am glad my 'sister' was there. We o­nly had each other. We did the marketing and cooked our own meals."

Later, they switched jobs and started working at a ratan furniture company in Selayang and were paid RM350 a month.

"The job was really hard, the ratan would cause severe blisters o­n our hands. So we decided to return to our previous place."

Rajoo left the printing press when his 'sister' married a mutual friend, who is also disabled, and moved to Klang.

He then stayed in a church-sponsored home in Kepong and started working at a nearby electronic company.

It was during this time that he was introduced to wheelchair tennis by another disabled friend.

"I never liked tennis. But the game came naturally and I began to train really hard and became part of the first Malaysian wheelchair tennis team."

Airplane dream

His first international tournament was in Thailand.

"I was so happy that I was finally going to be o­n a plane. Nobody in my family has ever been o­n o­ne and they were really excited as well. It was my dream to fly."

"However, the experience scared me stiff. When the plane took off, my body began to tremble until we reached the ground."

But now, flying has become routine for the tennis star who has traveled far and wide to the United States, England, Spain, Australia, Singapore, Japan and Korea.

Of all the countries he has visited, he likes Japan the most but quickly adds that Spain comes in at a close second because of its beautiful women, who much to his pleasure greeted him with kisses o­n the cheeks wherever he went.

"Everything in Japan is disabled friendly right from the buildings to transportation facilities. The disabled people there are totally different and most of them are educated. Japanese people are also very polite and helpful."

Rajoo's greatest achievement was at last year's Far East and South Pacific (Fespic) games for the disabled in Korea where he emerged second in the doubles category.

The Youth and Sports Ministry has promised him RM20,000 for his achievement and he is hoping to buy a house with the money.

"I have been living in many places since I was a child. I would love to have a home of my own where I can take care of my mother, even if it is for a single day," says Rajoo who now resides at the Cheshire home in Selayang.

Financial woes

Although tennis has taken him globe-trotting, it has left a dent in his finances. His current job at an electronic factory pays him about RM400 a month and whenever there is a tournament, he has to take unpaid leave.

In order to make ends meet, Rajoo is forced to deliver newspapers in the morning.

"This is really tiring because I have to be out by 4.30am, then rush off to work and later to training."

It is because of this that many disabled people shy away from sports, he says.

"They too have families to take care of and can't spend all their time training."

Rajoo hopes the government will aid disabled athletes in this aspect by providing them with a monthly allowance or jobs so that they can concentrate fully o­n their chosen sport.

"We should be given the same treatment that able-bodied athletes get. There should be greater encouragement and no discrimination."

On disabled people, Rajoo says they should never use their condition as an excuse to stop aiming for the sky.

"Always aspire to achieve. Although God may rob you of o­ne thing, he always provides another. The rest is up to you," he said.

"Look at me. No education, no money, yet I have achieved something that I am truly proud of. If I can do it, so can the rest."

This desire to be an inspiration to others has driven him to work with a home for disabled people in Petaling Jaya called Damai, which aims to propagate independent living.

As far as tennis is concerned, he says he will play the game as long as he is able to do so.

"This beautiful game changed my life and I am grateful to it and to those who introduced me to it."

Rajoo says his proudest moment was when he was o­n the podium with his tennis partner in Korea and witnessed the Malaysian flag being hoisted.

"I always wanted to see my country's flag raised because of me....and I have done it."