On Sunday morning in Kolkata, the finish line was not just a ribbon stretched across a field — it was a marker of something far deeper. At Club Foot Champions Day, around 120 children, who were once born with twisted, inward turned feet, ran races, played games and cheered each other on, watched by parents who could scarcely believe what they were seeing.
For many of these families, the journey began with fear and silence. Club foot, a congenital condition that affects mobility if left untreated, is still shrouded in taboo in large parts of society. Children are often hidden away, denied play, and made to feel different before they even understand why. For families with limited resources, lack of awareness and access to treatment only deepens the sense of hopelessness.
That narrative was challenged at the Sports and Athletics Day organised by Kids Orthopedic Clinic under the medical leadership of paediatric orthopaedic surgeon Soumya Paik. The children, who once arrived at the clinic carried in their parents’ arms, were now sprinting on their own feet, laughing as they crossed the finish line.
“There is a lot of taboo around club foot in our society. Society does not accept these children,” Paik said. “There is a procedure involved to get it fixed. It is a little long. You need to have surgery, wear a cast and then a shoe. Today’s programme was a running event for the children who have bounced back from this disease. It was an absolute joy to watch them running and getting back to a normal life. I hope they get the opportunity to live a normal life just like us.”
Treatment for club foot requires patience and long-term commitment, involving corrective surgery, braces and rehabilitation. But the results, as the event showed, can be life changing. Parents stood at the sidelines, some wiping away tears, as children who were once denied the simplest joys of play chased medals and encouragement instead of stigma.