New Delhi, March 9
The two-time Paralympics gold medallist, Devendra Jhajharia, who was recently elected as the president of the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI), outlined his ambitious vision for Indian para sports and said they are hoping to win more than 30 medals in the upcoming Paris 2024 Paralympics.
With 19 medals - five gold, eight silver, six bronze - Tokyo 2020 was India's best-ever Paralympics.
"We are currently having an athletics event in Bengaluru and currently shooting World Cup is going on in India. So in this, we will identify our good players. We have made a good plan for them... our target is to win 30 medals in the Paris Paralympics," Jhajharia told ANI.
In the last Paralympics, Jhajharia became India's most decorated Paralympian with his silver medal in the men's javelin throw F46 event. It added to his two Paralympic gold medals at Athens 2004 and Rio 2016 Games.
Jhajharia said that his team will start a program at the grassroots level to identify talented players.
"We will run the junior program and go to the grassroots. We need to work in 700 districts, so we will take talented players to the state and from there we will take them to the national level. Then they will represent India," Jhajharia added.
"We will help by joining our association. We have a general secretary and vice president and as many teams and state units. We will all come together and make a plan. And according to that, we will come forward. Our target will be to win more than 30 medals. For that we will do separate planning and will also hold meetings with the coaches," he said.
Meanwhile, the outgoing PCI president Deepa Malik hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's efforts to develop para sports.
"I really appreciated the efforts of the honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi for development of para-sports and the guidance of the sports ministry and sports authority of India. It also supported me during my tenure as an athlete when I converted from an athlete to an administrator," Malik told ANI.
Outgoing President Malik gracefully passed on the mantle to Jhajhariya and expressed her unwavering confidence in his leadership.
"It is an unopposed committee. And it shows that it has a hundred per cent support from the entire fraternity of para-sports. It is a great honour for me to hand over the baton to another distinguished Paralympic medalist. The new president is Devendra Jhajharia who himself was an athlete and three-time Paralympics medal winner. So personally its a moment of great joy that being a para-athlete I am handing over the reigns and administration to another para-athlete. We have practically trained and played together. We understand the needs of the athletes because this is going to be an athlete-centric federation. The expectation is definitely that para-sports should grow in our country. I am truly truly grateful," the former PCI president said.
The election of Devendra Jhajhariya heralds a new era for the Paralympic Committee of India, promising exponential growth, inclusivity, and excellence in para sports throughout the nation.