In a major boost to the Paralympic Movement in the country, the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) has been awarded the 'Best National Sports Federation Award' at the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry’s (FICCI) Turf 2020 India Sports Awards.
The FICCI India Sports Awards, powered by MPL Sports, which were held virtually on Tuesday evening on the back of the 10th Global Sports Summit: FICCI TURF 2020, are awarded to athletes, coaches, federations, professionals, companies etc. recognising their excellent performances & contributions towards sports over the past year.
Alongwith PCI, the 'Best National Sports Federation Award' was also given to the Wrestling Federation of India.
There was more recognition for the Parasport fraternity as World champion Para javelin thrower Sundar Singh Gurjar and sprinter Simran Sharma were named as the Best Male and Female Para Athlete of the Year.
Honoured to receive the award Dr. Deepa Malik, PCI President, wrote on her Twitter handle: "It’s an acknowledgment of the tremendous teamwork between Sports Ministry, PCI Board members, Para athletes, coaches, officials & all stakeholders involved."
"The award has come at the right time when we plan to make PCI an athlete-centric organisation and work towards the overall development of the Para athletes and the Movement in the country. The award will also motivate us to move forward in our plans and push our athletes and coaches to work harder towards their Paralympic dreams," she added.
PCI Secretary General Gursharan Singh added: "It's an honour for the entire Paralympic fraternity in the country. The award is a testament that we are in the right path and we continue to work with the same commitment and dedication towards the development of the Paralympic Movement in the country. Congratulations to everyone at PCI and athletes Sundar (Gurjar) and Simran (Sharma)."
Award Big Motivation
For both the Para athletes, the recognition was a "big motivation" to work harder as they chase their Paralympic dreams. With hardly any competition held this year owing to COVID-19 Pandemic, the award has given "wings" to Gurjar’s preparations for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. Supported by the Cairn Foundation, Gurjar is training at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium in Jaipur, Rajasthan.
Simran, the visually impaired Para Athlete, said this has been the "first award in her career" and she will use it to work harder to secure a quota for the Games.
Recently, the National Para sport body was also recognised with the 'Corona Frontliners Award' for their service during the COVID-19 lockdown.
While the PCI has donated PPE kits to health workers, all PCI staff donated their one-day salary to PM CARES. Moreover, all para-athletes have kept their morale high attending sports science webinars organised by PCI & continued to train from home, motivating the entire nation with their spirit.
25 Years at #1: Your best source of news about the Olympics is www.aroundtherings.com, for subscribers only
Recent Articles
Sinner-Alcaraz, the duel that came to succeed the three phenomenons
Beyond the final result, Roland Garros left the feeling that the Italian and the Spaniard will shape the great duel that came to help us through the duel for the end of the Federer-Nadal-Djokovic era.
Table tennis: Brazil’s Bruna Costa Alexandre will be Olympic and Paralympic in Paris 2024
She is the third in her sport and the seventh athlete to achieve it in the same edition; in Santiago 2023 she was the first athlete with disabilities to compete at the Pan American level and won a medal.
Rugby 7s: the best player of 2023 would only play the medal match in Paris
Argentinian Rodrigo Isgró received a five-game suspension for an indiscipline in the circuit’s decisive clash that would exclude him until the final or the bronze match; the Federation will seek to make the appeal successful.
Rhonex Kipruto, owner of the world record for the 10000 meters on the road, was suspended for six years
The Kenyan received the maximum sanction for irregularities in his biological passport and the Court considered that he was part of a system of “deliberate and sophisticated doping” to improve his performance. He will lose his record and the bronze medal at the Doha World Cup.
Katie Ledecky spoke about doping Chinese swimmers: “It’s difficult to go to Paris knowing that we’re going to compete with some of these athletes”
The American, a seven-time Olympic champion, referred to the case of the 23 positive controls before the Tokyo Games that were announced a few weeks ago and shook the swimming world. “I think our faith in some of the systems is at an all-time low,” he said.
