Government support & PCI collaborations with Corporates has given a huge fillip to para-sport in India, says Padma Bhushan awardee Davendra Jhajharia

New Delhi : “The Government support in terms of facilities and funds has hugely strengthened the eco-system for para-athletes in the country. The overall development will certainly give Indian para-athletes an edge over the others at the 2022 Asian Para Games in China,” was how India’s two-time Paralympic champion in javelin throw (F46) Davendra Jhajharia sums up para-sports movement in India.

Jhajharia, 40, is the first para-athlete to have received Padma Bhushan award in sports on Monday from the President of India, Ram Nath Kovind. The award ceremony was held here at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

The veteran para-athlete from Rajasthan won his first gold medal at the 2004 Athens Paralympic Games, followed by another gold at the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games. His third medal, a silver, came last year at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games in Japan.

The seasoned para-athlete believes India’s outstanding performance of 19 medals at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games was a story of hard-work and determination but substantial support from the government in terms of facilities and financial assistance was a big boost to the confidence of the athletes.

According to Jhajharia, in the buildup months to the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games Almost all the athletes who had qualified for the Paralympic Games received adequate financial support towards international exposure and practice. He also mentioned the support from Corporates like Cairn Vedanta under CSR projects. “Pocket allowance under the sports ministry’s Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) was icing on the cake. We weren’t thinking about day-to-day expenditure as it was taken care of by the government, but totally focused on practice,” Jhajharia explains. “We hope to carry the good work done at the 2020 Paralympic Games forward.”

Post 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games, the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI), the national governing body that oversees para-sport in India, has got overwhelming response from private sponsors as well as government departments. “Several para-athletes are reaping the benefits through PCI partners such as Hero MotoCorp, Cairn Vedanta, Indian Bank and SBI Foundation & many more are coming forward to support the Paralympic Movement in India,” a senior PCI official said.