Delhi govt unaware of special Olympians’ rich medal haul
8 March 2013 12:26 AM GMT
London Olympic medallists from Delhi were showered with cash by all and sundry whereas the special Olympians, who have returned from South Korea with 18 of the 46 medals the country bagged, have not even been felicitated, let alone being rewarded.
India’s differently-abled athletes bagged 13 gold, 17 silver and 16 bronze at the Pyeongchang-Gangneung World Winter Games, where 2,200 athletes from over 120 nations participated. The tally was double of what they won at the 2009 Games.
Fourteen athletes from Delhi participated in five events – five in floor hockey, four in figure skating, two each in speed skating and snowshoeing and one in Alpine skiing. They came back with six gold, nine silver and three bronze medals, but no one from the government has bothered to contact them. ‘How will we know who’s won what till they contact us,’ Satpal Singh, the Delhi government’s additional director of sports and physical education, asked.
‘I have no information about the medallists. It is for the federation concerned to approach the government with an application for rewarding the special Olympians,’ he added.
Asked if the special Olympians need to parade around with their medals, Satpal Singh said, ‘Obviously we are not giving alms to people, these kids obviously deserve remuneration. The people concerned should contact me and something will certainly be done. The government has done a lot for the disabled athletes. An Arjuna award is given every year in the differently-abled category,’ he said.
Kirti Kalra, the elder of the Kalra sisters, won a silver and the younger Simran a bronze in the figure skating events. Bipasha, 14, won a gold and silver in speed skating despite her difficulties in social communication.
‘The government needs to do more to help these special children. More care needs to be taken in their development. The Summer Olympians were talked about and taken note of by the state governments but sadly, nothing is being done for these children,’ Bipasha’s mother Chitra Mukherjee said.
More scathing in her attack was Ashish’s sister Bhumika Shresta, who works with Accenture. Ashish, 18, who has a Down syndrome, won two silvers in speed skating. He has not been contacted by anyone from the sports ministry or the Delhi government since his momentous achievement.
‘We have been in touch with other parents and they have said the same thing. No one has been contacted. It’ almost like nothing happened,’ said Shreshtra.
India’s differently-abled athletes bagged 13 gold, 17 silver and 16 bronze at the Pyeongchang-Gangneung World Winter Games, where 2,200 athletes from over 120 nations participated. The tally was double of what they won at the 2009 Games.
Fourteen athletes from Delhi participated in five events – five in floor hockey, four in figure skating, two each in speed skating and snowshoeing and one in Alpine skiing. They came back with six gold, nine silver and three bronze medals, but no one from the government has bothered to contact them. ‘How will we know who’s won what till they contact us,’ Satpal Singh, the Delhi government’s additional director of sports and physical education, asked.
‘I have no information about the medallists. It is for the federation concerned to approach the government with an application for rewarding the special Olympians,’ he added.
Asked if the special Olympians need to parade around with their medals, Satpal Singh said, ‘Obviously we are not giving alms to people, these kids obviously deserve remuneration. The people concerned should contact me and something will certainly be done. The government has done a lot for the disabled athletes. An Arjuna award is given every year in the differently-abled category,’ he said.
Kirti Kalra, the elder of the Kalra sisters, won a silver and the younger Simran a bronze in the figure skating events. Bipasha, 14, won a gold and silver in speed skating despite her difficulties in social communication.
‘The government needs to do more to help these special children. More care needs to be taken in their development. The Summer Olympians were talked about and taken note of by the state governments but sadly, nothing is being done for these children,’ Bipasha’s mother Chitra Mukherjee said.
More scathing in her attack was Ashish’s sister Bhumika Shresta, who works with Accenture. Ashish, 18, who has a Down syndrome, won two silvers in speed skating. He has not been contacted by anyone from the sports ministry or the Delhi government since his momentous achievement.
‘We have been in touch with other parents and they have said the same thing. No one has been contacted. It’ almost like nothing happened,’ said Shreshtra.
Next Story
