Two para-athletes belonging to Madhya Pradesh, who have won medals in international competitions, have declared their intention to return the coveted Arjuna Award. As per a report in the Indian Express, the duo claimed that the state government has failed to provide them employment despite their efforts to contact local authorities.
25-year-old Kapil Parmar had won bronze at the 2024 Paralympics, making him the first Indian to clinch a Paralympic medal in para-judo. In addition, he has won gold medal at the Commonwealth Championships in 2019, silver at the Asian Para Games in 2022, bronze at the World Games in 2023, and gold at the 2023 Grand Prix. The Arjuna Award was presented to him in 2024.
“This whole issue has been brushed under the carpet. I was promised a government job and Rs 1 crore when Shivraj Singh Chouhan was the chief minister. The promise was for a DSP post. I received Rs 50 lakh, and the job never came. For the past month, I’ve been trying to meet officials, but no one calls me. No one invites me to government events. They only pose with us when we win medals and abandon us in our time of need,” Parmar told The Indian Express.
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Parmar, who was born in Sehore, was electrocuted in 2009 and lost his vision. He used to practice at his father's akhada as a wrestler and powerlifter. His eldest brother was assigned as a home guard, while his father, who came from a middle-class family, drove taxis. Parmar receives assistance with his training from his second sibling.
“After I lost my vision, I got into judo training in 2017. At the national level, I won gold and then kept progressing, winning a total of seven gold, three silver and five bronze medals in international events, including the Commonwealth and Asian Games. I was asked to attend events across the state and inspire the youth. How can I do that when I don’t even have money to train? Mentally, I am gutted and can’t inspire confidence in anyone,” Parmar added.
As per the report, Parmar has promised to return his award at the local sports director's office shortly.
Prachi Yadav, 30, is the other para-athlete, who has decided to do the same. She was India's first para-canoe athlete and competed in the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics. She was born in Gwalior. She received the Arjuna Award in 2023, the MP government's Vikram Award in 2020, and a bronze medal at the 2022 Paralympic World Cup.
“It would have been better had I been born in UP or Haryana. I would have got a big achievement and a pension. The government is not doing anything; it is not giving us any job or financial support, so what’s the use of that award?” the report quoted Yadav as saying to the local media.
The state government officials are yet to issue a formal response, a government official told the national daily: “We will look into their grievances. Rest assured, the state government wants to make MP into an athletic powerhouse and has been building a lot of world-class infrastructure for athletes.”
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