Celebrate Para-athletes like we celebrate our Olympic heroes and cricketers, says Tendulkar

Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar will be closely following the forthcoming Paralympics in Tokyo, where India are expected to hit the high notes from August 24 to September 5. We reproduce his statement issued on Monday morning

It is time for the Paralympics and I would like to appeal to all Indians to get behind our contingent of 54 athletes in Tokyo.

I have always believed that these women and men are not athletes with special abilities. Rather, they are women and men of extraordinary ability who are all real life heroes for each one of us. Their journeys are an eye opener to what women and men can do with passion, commitment and determination and serve as inspiration for every one of us.

I have always believed that if we can celebrate our Paralympic athletes in the very same manner that we celebrate our Olympic heroes and our cricketers, we can become a better society. And it is not simply about the medal winners. Not every athlete among the 54 participating in the Paralympics will win a medal. However, it is important we celebrate them all. We need to celebrate the process and not simply the outcome. That’s when real change will happen in our sport.

I have been reading we might win more than 10 medals this time round. I hope we win more. In Rio we had won 4 medals. If that goes up to 10 it is a significant upswing that all of us should celebrate. Having said that I will watch each athlete with the same interest whether they make it to the podium or not. Each of them are great role models and to see them perform for India and do it all for the tricolour is in itself a great sense of satisfaction for the country.

I have been delighted to see India embrace the Paralympics this year, the very welcome initiatiatives of the government  and corporates working in partnership and on their own in different aspects of extending support to our sports persons are all steps in the right direction.

To conclude - I will watch Paralympics with equal intensity like I did for the Olympics. I urge all of you to do so and cheer for our beloved India.

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