New Delhi, Sep 8 (PTI) Paralympic Committee of India president Devendra Jhajharia is confident of a strong performance by the Indian contingent at the upcoming Asian Para Games in Japan, citing the team’s focused training and encouraging results at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the 2024 Paris Paralympics.
India won a record 111 medals, including 29 gold, at the Asian Para Games in Hangzhou in 2023, and the two-time Paralympic gold-medallist javelin thrower said the bar could be set higher in the Aichi-Nagoya edition of the continental showpiece next month.
“For the upcoming Asian Para Games, the training is going on smoothly and I am confident they will give a superb performance at the Aichi-Nagoya Games, the same way they did at the 2024 Paris Paralympics and the historic Asian Para Games in Hangzhou in 2023,” said Jhajharia during an interaction on the sidelines of a function hosted by SBI Life Insurance to honour the seven medal-winning para athletes at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
He added their success was predominantly due to a stress-free environment being provided to para athletes over the last few years.
“Our effort is to keep the players stress free. Only when the athletes get a stress-free environment, they get confidence that the Paralympic Committee of India and the government are doing something for them. The performance at the Commonwealth Games is a clear indication that the players were both physically and mentally ready for competition,” added Jhajharia.
With the Commonwealth Games now history, the next target, Jhajhara said, is the preparation for the 2028 and 2032 Paralympics, for which he said things had started in right earnest.
He said a lot had changed in the last few years in para sport. While at one time, classification of Indian para athletes was a huge concern, it had become streamlined because the country was now hosting multiple international para events.
“Our (PCI) first target was to get events to India which could facilitate classification of Indian para athletes right here in the country. Disability classification was such a big issue at one time… we used to get just 3-5 (classification) quotas in international Grands Prix,” he said.
“We started the (Para athletics) Grand Prix in India and successfully conducted two editions. Imagine, we did 120 classifications in just one GP.
“We are also running a junior programme where children between 15-16 years are provided facilities, equipment and kits at home, so that a messages goes out forcefully that they are being looked after. The thinking is that the 15-16 year olds will be ready for the 2028 or 2032 Paralympics.” He, however, expressed concern over the kind of support aspiring para athletes were getting at the grassroots.
“No doubt, there are good facilities for para athletes but a lot still needs to be done. The support should start at the grassroots… schools. We need to work on infrastructure in schools… every school will need to have facilities.” PTI AM AM ATK
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