Paralympians Deserve Topmost Awards: Milkha Singh

There has been a demand for the Paralympic medallists to be conferred with the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award.

Milkha Singh said the paralympians were living examples of what can be achieved through sheer determination. (Photo: IANS)

Legendary athlete Milkha Singh feels that paralympians deserve the highest level of recognition and the topmost awards that the country can bestow upon them as they are the best examples of what can be achieved against all odds.

These athletes deserve the highest recognition and awards that our country can bestow on them because they are shining examples of what a society can achieve through hard work, determination and commitment.

Milkha Singh

Mariyappan Thangavelu (who won a gold in men’s T42 High Jump), Varun Bhati (bronze in men’s T42 high jump), Deepa Malik (silver in women’s shotput F53 event) and Devendra Jhajharia (gold in men’s F46 javelin throw) made it to the podium at the Rio Paralympics. There has been a demand that the medal winners be conferred the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, the highest sporting honour in the country.

An Olympic medallist directly qualifies for the Khel Ratna during an Olympic year, but there is no such policy in place for paralympians.

Milkha, who had missed a bronze medal by a whisker in the 1960 Rome Olympics, congratulated all the athletes who are currently representing India at the ongoing Rio Paralympics for their efforts and successful performances.

I had been invited by the Paralympic Committee of India to flag off the Sport for Development Run in 2014 and I was amazed at the zest and enthusiasm of the paralympic athletes who I had met that day. I was touched.

Milkha Singh

“Now I am touched again when I see the performances of these athletes. I have a message for them: ‘Your performances in the face of all odds that you have encountered in life are living examples to all of us of what can be achieved when someone sets his of her mind to it. I thank you all for giving us that inspiration and motivation and for keeping the national flag flying high’,” Singh added.