India’s Paralympic revolution was the topic of discussion in the first session on Day 2 of the Tata Steel Trailblazers sports conclave organised by RevSportz. Present on stage were Paralympic stars Yogesh Kathuniya, Navdeep Singh, former India hockey player Viren Rasquinha, and Dr Ameya Kagali, the chief team physician for India at the Paris Paralympics 2024, where India won 29 medals.
The panellists agreed that things have got better in Paralympics, or para sports. It’s something that the average sports follower doesn’t comprehend. For people in general, sports is only about able-bodied athletes. That’s wrong. Sports is about inclusivity and the achievements of the para athletes are paramount. That’s what this session was about.
“Awareness is increasing. Things on the organisational front are getting better. There are some big para events lined up in India this year. This is a great fillip for para sports in the country. If we look at how things were a few years ago and how they are now, there is a big difference. It could be better, but what we have now is good,” said Kathuniya, the discus thrower.
The star attraction was of course Navdeep, the gold medal-winning javelin thrower. “When you show willpower, it shows that you are getting better. That’s what brings changes. And we are happy to see that this change is taking place. It motivates us, the para athletes, and also motivates the country. It’s an uplifting feeling for the entire nation.”
Rasquinha, who has played for India with distinction and been involved with the promotion of sports for a long time, underlined the numerical growth para games have seen of late. “Interest and investment in para sports since the last few years have increased manifold. From participation in four events in the 2012 Paralympics to 12 in 2024, it’s a big leap. And you see the rise in the number of medals as well. This gives belief to youngsters. They start thinking that they can do it as well.”
Dr Kagali made interesting observations. “A para athlete has a different way of thinking. They understand their bodies in a different way. For me as a professional, it’s not much of a problem to deal with them. In terms of recovery and awareness, things are getting better. And these athletes are very good at what they do.”