Indian Para-Athletes Urgently Need Corporate Support And Permanent Jobs

Commonwealth Games gold medallist Soman Rana advocates for enhanced corporate support and permanent employment opportunities, stressing that financial stability is paramount for Indian para-athletes to excel on the global stage, including at the Paralympics and Para Asian Games.

Indian para-athletes need greater corporate support and permanent jobs in addition to prize money for international competitions to sustain and improve their performances at the highest level, including the Paralympics and the Para Asian Games, Commonwealth Games gold medallist Soman Rana said on Thursday.

Rana, who won gold in the men's shot put F57 event, said financial security plays a crucial role in helping para-athletes focus on training and perform consistently on the international stage.

"I had struggled during my career's initial days (when I had no job or sponsors). Preparing for the Paralympics and Para Asian Games requires a huge amount of money. Without support and sponsorship, it's extremely difficult. From my own experience, I can say that athletes need support. "I'm fortunate because I've had strong backing (in the middle later part of my career). Without OGQ and the TOPS scheme, reaching this level and winning medals would have been very difficult," Rana told PTI here on the sidelines of a felicitation ceremony for para-athletes hosted by the M3M Foundation, the primary sponsor of the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI).

The Critical Need for Financial Security

Elaborating on the support he received -- which he believes every para-athlete requires to succeed at the highest level -- Rana said: "We receive support in terms of equipment, clothing and other essentials, but financial support is equally important. A permanent government job also provides security. "Support shouldn't be limited to just a few areas. Now, many foundations support athletes, and states are introducing policies such as, Win a medal, get a job. Athletes should receive government jobs as well as prize money."

Echoing similar sentiments, PCI president Devendra Jhajharia said the growing recognition and support for para-athletes had transformed the Paralympic movement in India.

"Today, the Paralympic movement has reached every corner of the country, and the whole world has witnessed it. The performance delivered by our para-athletes at the Commonwealth Games was extraordinary. It was not a wave of medals, but a storm of medals. "In the previous five Commonwealth Games, India had won only six medals in total and just one gold medal in its history. This time, we won seven medals at a single Commonwealth Games."

"I remember a time when we would return home with medals and quietly leave the airport without any recognition. Sometimes, no one would even put a garland around our necks. "Today, athletes are being welcomed and celebrated everywhere. I see this as a celebration of the country's youth."

India's Paralympic Movement: A Journey of Transformation

PCI and M3M Foundation chairperson Payal Kanodia, who has represented India three times at the World Kettlebell Championships, reiterated the foundation's commitment to supporting athletes.

M3M Foundation's Ongoing Support for Athletes

"I think this is a moment of pride for the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) and for the nation, perhaps even more so than for the athletes themselves. For the past six years, the M3M Foundation has supported athletes across different sports. "We have been providing training support, nutritional support, equipment assistance, and financial help for athletes to represent India on the global stage."