BENGALURU: With 205 million people in India afflicted with various kinds of disabilities, the importance given to para sports is pretty dismal while the awareness levels among affected families is almost negligible.
The disheartening fact is evident from the number of participants in Paralympics from India this year — a dismal 25. In the last three paralympic (summer games) events, India has just won three medals. However, in the 2014 Asian Para Games, a record number of 87 Indian Para athletes participated.
Well-known international para-swimmer Sharat Gaikwad who broke P T Usha’s record of winning the maximum medals in Asian Games says, “It’s very important to have systematic support systems from the government, sponsors, the corporate sector and others if one has to reach the paralympic level.”
Awareness of para-sports among Indian parents is gloomy. Experts say government policy for para-sports exists but it is not in the public domain. Ramesh Tikaram, Arjuna Awardee, who is coaching 20 para-athletes says, “We have to take permission to use the facilities at the government sports complex. The procedure to get the permission bogs us down further.”
Harish K of Karnataka Fitness Academy, who has trained many sports persons, says, “Unless there is a coordinated game plan from all involved, we cannot even think of competing in international tournaments.”
The issue of classification is a major stumbling block for Indian para-athletes. For example, in the swimming event alone, there are 14 classifications for different categories of disabled but there is no awareness on how one is categorised. Unfortunately, no training is conducted either for the special coaches or for the athletes themselves. Facilities and special infrastructure for training, practice and preparation are far and few and absent from rural areas.
S R Sindhia, Acting Secretary of Karnataka Para Swimming Association says, “We require to conduct more swimming camps and events for the disabled if we are serious about promoting para swimming in the state.”
However, Priyanka Shylendra from Astha, an organisation working towards empowerment of the disabled, adds, “One positive aspect that has recently emerged is that now the expenditure towards development of para-sports is counted as CSR expenditure by the corporate sector.”
Astha is presently aiming to conceptualise and build an Academy for Excellence and Research in Para-sports by December, 2018. Their founder, Sunil Kumar Jain says, “If we have to overcome these barriers, the governments, NGOs, professionals and people with disabilities and their families should work together to add the sports component for a healthy life.”
Different but able
■ City NGOs, para Olympians and fitness experts will come together on December 20 to focus and discuss on the need for Para sports for the differently abled at a Sports and Fitness Workshop in the city. One can register for the workshop at : http://asthasports.eventbrite.com
■ Once athletes with disabilities competed in the Olympic Games prior to the advent of the Paralympics. The first athlete to do so was German American gymnast George Eyser in 1904, who had one artificial leg. The first organised athletics day for disabled athletes that coincided with the Olympic Games took place on the day of the opening of the 1948 Summer Olympics in London.
■ The first official Paralympic Games, was held in Rome in 1960. Since then, Paralympics has taken place once every four years. In 1976, the first Winter games were held in Sweden. China, Japan and Korea have taken the lead by sending 250-700 participants in the last three Paralympic games.
■ Paralympic Committee of India was founded in 1992. India made its Summer Paralympic debut at the 1968 Games, competed again in 1972, and then was absent till the 1984 Games. It has participated in every edition of the Summer Games since then. It has never participated in the Winter Paralympic Games.
■ As per WHO statistics, one in every six in Asia has some form of disability. Disability exists in four categories: physical, mental, permanent and temporary. Para sport which is a sport for people with a disability, is yet to find acceptability in India.