Indian para-athletes are turning into the super heroes now, by coming up from all downfall of life. Para-athletes have the range of disabilities includes impaired passive range of movement, impaired muscle power such as paraplegia and quadriplegia, post-polio syndrome, muscular dystrophy, spina bifida, etc., limb deficiency like dysmelia or amputation, leg length difference, hypertonia, short stature, ataxia, vision impairment, athetosis, and intellectual impairment.
India’s Paralympian Stars
India clinched total of nine medals in the World Para Athletics Championships in Dubai on 8th November 2019 including 2 gold, 2 silver, and 5 bronze medals. This is a bigger ever achievement which sets up the high benchmark for India by securing 13 qualifying spots for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics.
Our players Para-Badminton athlete Manasi Joshi, javelin thrower Sumit Antil, high jumper Sharad Kumar and Sandeep’s victory created history for the Indian Paralympic games in Dubai. Star Paralympian Devendra Jhajharia, who won the Gold Medal in Athens Paralympic games by beating his own old record. There are more such names whose records will bring forward the more Paralympian in India. We are hoping from all the players that they can produce even better in Summer Paralympics at Tokyo 2020 and Winter Paralympics in Beijing 2022.
Manasi Joshi tweeted on winning gold at World Para-Badminton Championships
“I earned it. Worked every bit for it.”
“Firstly, I would like to thank everyone who has supported me in my journey. It feels great to be nominated for such an honor, but this should have come 12 years back. I would have been happier and more motivated if I was nominated for this award 12 years ago when I won my first Paralympic gold with a world record performance. But as it’s said it is never too late.”- Says Devendra Jhajharia after being nominated for the most prestigious award Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna.
Paralympic Games in India
In India, Paralympic games have more scope then before. They just need the proper facilities and support as the other sports players are getting by the government. A balanced and healthy diet with the proper nutrition is the first foremost requirement for the Paralympic players just like any other sportsperson. After that right equipment which they required can help Paralympian to perform even more better in the Olympics.
This is the matter of happiness that now India is having a global presence in national para-sports championships. Sports Authority of India, as well as Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs, are supporting Paralympic movements better than before, but still government needs to focus more on the facilities that our paralympians required for the games like Olympics.
The journey from the rural areas to the international games is not easy for any sports player. This becomes tougher than the rest when they are with one of the disabilities. In that case, government and corporates need to come forward and support our paralympians.
We hope that India would continue participating in such championships and bring more and more medals to India’s account.
By Prashant Agarwal, President, Narayan Seva Sansthan
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