A beacon of light for the blind

Imagine waking up one day to complete darkness. It might seem like an unlikely nightmare, but Khalid Oshman lives in that reality every single day. After losing his eyesight due to a wrong injection given to him in the prime of his life, Khalid was plunged into a world of darkness. However, refusing to give up on his dreams, the brave youth managed to find solace in swimming and going on to win a number of impressive achievements in the sport. Even though he himself can never again see the light, he is determined to help and light up the lives of others through social service and counselling.

Khalid has never known his birth parents. Born in Kuwait, the fully sighted Khalid was adopted by Sri Lankan parents Aboobacker Siddeek and Markeya Yoosuf. He has one brother, Abdur Rahman Siddek and two sisters, Noorjahan Abubacker and Sameeha Siddeek. Khalid received his primary education in Kurunegala at the Paragahadeniya National School. He then came to Colombo and studied at Alexandra College in Town Hall. However, after the school closed down when he was in the sixth grade, he transferred to the Arabic College in Kurunegala (Dharvuth Thowheed Assalatiyya) where he completed his education.

After he left school in 2004, he worked as an air-condition technician and then as a sales executive. However, after a short while in these jobs, he decided to follow his true calling which was to help others. Resolving to make a career of saving lives, he joined the Sri Lanka Red Cross as a first aid coordinator. He completed courses in emergency medical technician training and firefighter training. Due to his courage and compassion, he was soon made the youth chairman of the Red Cross. He also worked on a psychology social support project which sparked his ambition to pursue counselling as a career. By working in the field and actively helping others, Khalid felt that he was finally living his dream.

However, he was blissfully unaware of the tragedy awaiting him. It started with a headache, followed by a severe pain in his eyes. He was taken to a doctor who prescribed some pills. However, when it didn’t help, the doctor gave him an injection. And on that fateful day in 2010, Khalid woke up to nothing but darkness engulfing him.

“Just like that, I lost my eyesight. Suddenly I was left completely blind,”  he said.

He was told that his blindness was caused by Glaucoma. However, the doctors who examined him in India said it was due to a nerve damage caused by administering a wrong injection.

Recalling the horror of those days, he said,   “When that happened I was extremely depressed. I lost all hope. I retreated to my room, never wanting to face the world again.”

It was his cousin brother who changed Khalid’s perception by advising him and motivating him to start his life anew. He got Khalid to join the Sri Lanka Federation for the Visually Handicapped. Here Khalid was introduced to a new community of those who were visually impaired. By these interactions, Khalid found the hope and strength to rebuild his life and pursue his dreams.

“Here they trained me in mobility which basically means how to move around with the white cane. Slowly, I learnt to start doing things on my own, without depending on others. I finally felt like I could lead a normal life, the way I have always wanted,”  he said.

Khalid then received an opportunity to join the Sri Lanka Council for the Blind and became a committee member at the National Federation for the Visually Handicapped in Narahenpita. Through these organisations, he was encouraged to participate in sports. Thus he discovered his passion for swimming.

“I researched the sports that blind people usually take part in and discovered that not many people took up swimming. So I decided to get involved in swimming because I wanted to try something new and unique,” Khalid said with a smile.

Khalid already knew the basics of swimming but he had never thought of embarking upon it as a competitive sport. He approached a coach at Royal College Swimming Club who at first refused Khalid’s request.

“He said he has never trained a blind person before and didn’t want to take the risk. But I argued with him. I told him to give me a chance to prove myself and eventually he agreed. That is how I started my swimming career,” Khalid said.

He said he completely depended on his intuition when swimming. It did not always bring perfect results.

“At first I did not have a very clear idea about distances and would repeatedly knock my head on the walls of the pool. But with training, I have improved. It is still a challenge but it feels more natural to me and now I can swim using all four strokes,” he explained.

It was under the guidance of the Royal College swimming coaches, Mr. Soysa and Mr. Ruwan that laid the foundation for Khalid’s swimming career. He started swimming for the Sri Lanka Council for the Blind as well as playing in their cricket and chess teams.

From the beginning it was clear that Khalid was a promising swimmer and his dedication and passion for the sport was impressive. He was ecstatic when he got a chance to join the NCC Rainbow Aquatic Club and train under world renowned swimmer and coach, Julian Bolling.

Earlier this year, courageous Khalid participated in the National Meet conducted by the Paralympics Committee. He proved his worth when he won a bronze medal for the free style 100-metre event. What made his achievement even more remarkable was the fact that he was the only civilian competitor at the meet.

He then went on to participate at the Masters Swimming Championships, an inter-club meet, competing among those with regular vision and won medals in both the 100 metres free style and 50 metres freestyle events.

His primary goal as a swimmer is to compete at the Paralympics and to teach swimming to the visually impaired.

“I want to be a swimming coach and especially want to train others like me, those who are blind. Swimming made a huge difference in my life and it helped me find a purpose to live after I lost my vision so I think it can help others who are in the same situation as me. I welcome anyone to contact me if they are interested and I would love the opportunity to make a difference in someone’s life,” Khalid said earnestly.

Even though swimming is a big part of Khalid’s life, his days are also filled with other activities to which his visual condition is no hindrance. He works as a document controlling assistant at Avery Dennison Lanka (pvt) Ltd. in Biyagama. He is skilled in software especially-designed for those with visual impairments. He learnt it through the Ceylon Employers’ Federation.

He also has his hands full as he is a member of the Leo Lions’ Club and the E.D.T. Toastmasters’ Club. Proving his enthusiasm to always take on new challenges, he took part in the five-kilometre marathon race organised by his office, coming in 33rd place from among 50 of his colleagues.  

Even though fate has dealt him an unkind blow, his desire to lend a hand to others has not been dimmed in the least. Khalid said his main aspiration in life is to do social services and make a career out of psychology counselling, especially for those who are disabled.

“I want to do counselling because I think it is a pressing need, especially for those who are handicapped in various ways,” he claimed. “However, I need to learn the subject more in depth. I approached several institutions but no one was willing to take me as a student. They all said that they do not have the necessary facilities to accommodate someone like me.”







However, this rejection was not enough to crush Khalid’s spirit and he has continued his search for a suitable teacher, requesting anyone who is ready to teach him to contact him.

“I refuse to give up on my dream. I know there is someone out there who will be willing to teach me and believe in me.”

Even though Khalid has an optimistic attitude and fighting spirit, his daily life is not without difficulties.

“I am used to doing my work on my own and it was difficult to manage when I lost my vision,” he said. “Since then I have learnt to become independent, but I still run into some hardships. Travelling on the road and taking public transport is especially difficult.”

One of the more daunting tasks he faces is interacting normally with those around him and being accepted by the society.

“I don’t want to be recognised through my impairment. I want to interact normally and be treated like any other person,” he said. “But sometimes it is hard as some people do not understand that. They are not ready to assimilate us into society and cannot see beyond our disability. What they must understand is that we are normal human beings too,”  Khalid said.



"I researched the sports that blind people usually take part in and discovered that not many people took up swimming. So I decided to get involved in swimming because I wanted to try something new and unique"



He is an inspiration to all because, despite the tragedy which befell him at an unexpected time, he is determined to overcome future obstacles and achieve his dreams through his undying passion, courage and strength. Pix by Kushan Pathiraja


Khalid’s contact details: +94778051951; [email protected]