New Delhi, Jan. 6: In a boost to para-athletes’ preparation towards Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) has partnered with Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) to support their training with sport equipment.
SIDBI has come on board after a proposal placed by the PCI followed by subsequent discussion over the last few months. The new association means SIDBI will offer financial assistance to PCI worth around Rs 15 lakh in purchasing various sport equipment under their CSR initiative.
The list of equipment includes Javelin, Badminton racquets, Running shoes, Discus, Shot Put, Sports Kits among others.
Speaking on the new association, PCI President Dr. Deepa Malik said: "We are very delighted to have SIDBI on board, which will benefit the athletes in their preparation for the upcoming Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. As we look to have an athlete-centric organisation at PCI, our main focus is supporting our athletes in every way. This new financial assistance will boost their training process.
"We are also hopeful that in the coming time, we will have more organisations joining us and supporting the Paralympic Movement in the country."
PCI secretary general Gursharan Singh added: "After the Covid-19 Pandemic had kept most of competitions and training at halt, it is a crucial time for our para-athletes to get back their rhythm and attain peak ahead of the Games. In this regard, SIDBI’s support is a great boost as the athletes chase their Paralympic dream."
Singh also thanked PCI’s other partners who have been supporting the Movement over the years including Hero Moto Corp—their major supporter since 2016.
Other organisations who have been associated with PCI are Cairn Foundation (2016) and CitiGroup (2018).
In December 2019, PCI had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Cairn Foundation to support the overall development of 10 para-athletes from Rajasthan and Gujarat including double Paralympic gold medallist Devendra Jhajharia, two-time World Para Athletics champion Sundar Singh Gurjar and world no. 1 Para Badminton player Parul Parmar.
25 Years at #1: Your best source of news about the Olympics iswww.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.
