World Disability Day: Top para athletes laud government’s initiative to buoy infrastructure, opportunity
New Delhi, Dec 3 (IANS) On the occasion of World Disability Day 2024, Indian para-athletes Navdeep, Simran Sharma, Ashok Kumar Malik and SAI Gandhinagar camper Nimisha expressed gratitude towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi for unwavering support in building an inclusive and accessible ecosystem.
The para-athletes highlighted the transformative strides taken in recent years, empowering athletes with disabilities to excel on national and international stages.
Mentioning the growing accessibility put forward to para-athletes during international and domestic travels, Navdeep, gold medallist at the Paris Paralympics in the Javelin Throw F41 event, said, “As athletes, we have to take part in various domestic and international competitions. And proper accessibility in airports during travel is crucial. Currently, 35 international airports and 55 domestic airports offer features like ramps, accessible toilets, and Braille-enabled lifts.
“With all these amenities provided, the government’s commitment to an inclusive India is evident, and I am grateful to be a part of this transformative journey,” he added.
Powerlifter Ashok Kumar, who represented the country at the Paris Paralympics, highlighted how accessibility initiatives have remained game changers. “The Government of India has facilitated over 50,000 buses for our domestic travels, which are fully and partially accessible across 24 States and UTs,” said Ashok.
“These measures are lifelines for us, allowing seamless travel and enabling us to focus on our training and performance. India is building an inclusive future, and I am so grateful for the growing attention towards us,” he added.
Besides buses, over 709 railway stations across the country have been made fully accessible, with partial accessibility in 4,068 more. Digital platforms have also been made accessible for people with disability.
“I am elated that a total of 672 state government websites and 95 Central Government websites have been made compliant with accessibility standards for people like us who have low visibility,” mentioned Simran Sharma, bronze medallist at the Paris Paralympics in 200m T12 event.
Elaborating on the support provided by the Sports Ministry, Simran added, “Sports Authority of India is giving us camps in various places as per our comfort and the Khelo India Para Games is also being hosted for us. Earlier this year, we athletes met Shri Modiji pre- and post-Paralympics 2024 and those have been unforgettable experiences for us. His words of encouragement motivate us to bring glory to the nation. Such recognition fuels our determination to keep pushing boundaries.”
The SAI regional centre in Gandhinagar is a specialized para-sports centre with over 90 para campers across six sports – Para athletics, para powerlifting, para swimming, para badminton, para table tennis and para fencing.
Nimisha Chakkungalparambil, a SAI Gandhinagar camper who won the gold medal at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Para Games in the women’s T47 long jump event, said “Our SAI national centre of excellence has dedicated para-specific sports ground facilities with special care given on accommodation facilities and food.
“This has been possible solely due to Narendra Modi who has given us inclusivity and helped in the expansion of para sports. Besides these amenities, we are also supported continuously via the Khelo India scheme and elite funding under the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS). These initiatives have eliminated all our financial and logistical barriers,” Nimisha added.
–IANS
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