Indian para-athletes, who clinched four medals at the just-concluded Rio Paralympic Games, have made a passionate plea to the government for proper jobs and treatment at par with their able-bodied counterparts
Amit Kumar
Amit Kumar
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New Delhi: Indian para-athletes, who clinched four medals at the just-concluded Rio Paralympic Games, have made a passionate plea to the government for proper jobs and treatment at par with their able-bodied counterparts.
With their sporting fortunes soaring high, two athletes— powerlifter Farman Basha and club thrower Amit Kumar Saroha stressed that they need jobs for a secure future.
The public debate on whether the country's Paralympic athletes should be treated at par with Olympic athletes was ignited once again after they performed better than their abled-bodied counterparts in Rio.
While the para-athletes have taken home four medals at the Paralympics—including two golds, a silver and a bronze - the able-bodied athletes could only manage two medals—a silver and a bronze at the Rio Olympics last month.
On Thursday, Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) president Rao Inderjit Singh weighed in on the debate when he said that the para-athletes should be treated equally and put on the same pedestal as able-bodied athletes.
Basha, who missed out on a bronze medal by finishing fourth in the men's 49 kilogram category at Rio, said: "The most important thing for any athlete is a job. Despite being a diploma holder and medal winner at many international competitions, I don't have a job. I have also written a letter to the Prime Minister." Kumar said: "If you are able-bodied and if you participate in one Olympics, you will get a job and sponsors."
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