look news india
New Delhi, September 3 (HS). There have been many occasions when PM Narendra Modi's special affection towards the disabled has come to the fore. Especially the way he has supported the disabled players cannot be praised enough. Especially he has adopted the word “Divyang” to describe the athletes, which emphasizes their extraordinary abilities and talents instead of focusing on their disabilities.
The Modi government has worked to create a conducive environment for differently-abled athletes to perform better, break barriers and advocate for equal opportunities in the field of sports. At the core of this initiative is a comprehensive approach to support differently-abled sportspersons.
The government has invested in state-of-the-art infrastructure, ensuring that sports facilities are designed to meet the specific needs of differently abled athletes. This not only facilitates their training but also promotes inclusivity in the wider sports community. Integrating differently abled athletes into mainstream sports programmes has been an important step.
The government has collaborated with sports organisations to provide specialised training and coaching, enabling these athletes to compete at the highest level.
The Modi administration has actively supported initiatives that promote the discovery and nurturing of talent among persons with disabilities, ensuring that they have access to the same opportunities as their able-bodied counterparts. To promote the participation of athletes with disabilities, the Modi government has implemented affirmative action policies in sports organisations. This includes creating reserved spots in national teams, encouraging sports clubs to recruit athletes with disabilities, and promoting awareness campaigns that challenge stereotypes and prejudices related to athletes with disabilities. Disabled sportspersons have also been given financial support through various welfare schemes.
The condition of para athletes was bad before the arrival of Modi government
Before the arrival of the Modi government, India's position in the Paralympics was very bad. If we look at history, history itself reveals the thinking of the previous governments regarding para athletes.
India won only 8 medals from 1960 to 2012
If we look at the history of Paralympics, Indian athletes could not do anything special. According to Olympics.com, from 1960 to 2012, India won only 8 medals, which include 2 gold, 3 silver and 3 bronze medals, from this it can be guessed what the governments of that time must have thought and planned about para athletes.
The condition of para athletes improved under Modi government, they also made the country proud
After this, the condition and performance of para athletes also improved after the Modi government came to power in 2014. The Indian team, which won only 8 medals from 1960 to 2012, won 4 medals including two gold in 2016 and 19 medals including five gold in the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics.
23 medals won from 2016 to Tokyo 2020
At the same time, in the 2016 edition in Rio, India won only 04 medals. Only 19 athletes participated this year and the Indian contingent won two gold, one bronze and one silver medal. They were ranked 43rd.
India fielded 54 para-athletes at the Tokyo 2020 Games. They won 19 medals, including five gold medals, across nine events, marking India's best ever performance.
Indians have had a great performance so far in the Paris Paralympics
Talking about the ongoing Paralympics in Paris, the journey of Indian athletes has been quite spectacular so far. India has won 20 medals so far in the ongoing Paralympics, including 3 gold, 7 silver and 10 bronze medals.
Schemes run by Modi government for the benefit of disabled players
Accessible India Campaign: Making public places and transport, including sports facilities, accessible to persons with disabilities.
Khelo India Scheme: To promote sports at the grassroots level and encourage the development of sporting talent across all age groups with possible provisions for athletes with disabilities.
Atal Bihari Training Center for Disabled Sports-
Atal Bihari Training Centre for Disabled Sports represents a significant step towards providing equal opportunities in sports to persons with disabilities, fostering their talents and encouraging their participation in various sporting disciplines.
Modi government ensures facilities and training for athletes participating in 2024 Paralympics at par with Olympic contingent
The government has ensured facilities and training for Paralympians at par with the Olympic contingent, helping them achieve success.
Support was provided for training, equipment and overseas exposure of para-athletes. All the players practice at SAI centres or private academies in collaboration with the Sports Authority of India (SAI). The government has facilitated over 110 international competitions.
Government spent around Rs 22 crore for Paralympic medal probables and Rs 74 crore for 12 eligible disciplines
Around Rs 22 crore has been spent by the government for Paralympic medal probables and Rs 74 crore for 12 eligible disciplines for support and assistance for the Paris Paralympic cycle.
Para-athletes also got special facilities in the sports village-
For the first time, a dedicated recovery centre with sports science equipment has been set up in the Games Village, just like the Olympic contingent. Also, keeping in mind the special needs of the para-athletes, more than 100 per cent of the support staff has been deputed for their personal coaches and sports experts against the limit of 30 per cent support staff.
Additionally, at the state-of-the-art Indian Recovery Centre in Paris, the athletes receive snacks specially formulated and delivered by SAI, such as energy bars, protein blends and more, carefully selected to enhance their performance.
This is the third time in recent times that the Indian Paralympic contingent will outperform the country's Olympic contingent. The Narendra Modi government has extended its support to the Paralympic contingent like the Olympics and India has sent its largest ever contingent of 84 athletes, including 34 women, to participate in the Paralympics this time. Of these, 59 athletes are supported under TOPS, 17 are regular athletes of SAI NCOE and the rest are supported by the government under the Khelo India scheme.