Hearing-impaired tennis player Jafreen Shaik’s dream to win a gold seems closer than ever now.
The Sports Ministry has provided financial assistance of Rs 2.5 lakh to Shaik to help her with training so that she can compete at the Summer Deaflympics scheduled in Brazil later this year or next year.
The 23-year-old was the recipient of a bronze medal at the 2017 Summer Deaflympics in the mixed doubles event, which was India's very first medal at the Deaflympics in tennis.
Jafreen hails from a humble household and has not been able to make ends meet. She had also represented India at the 2013 Deaflympics, but her father Zakeer Ahmed had to sell ornaments and his only house in Bangalore to afford her training, reported PTI.
She trained for free at the Sania Mirza Tennis Academy in Hyderabad from 2013 to 2017.
The Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya National Welfare Fund for Sportspersons (PDUNWFS) offers financial assistance of up to Rs 2.5 lakh to sportspersons who are in dire need of funds for training, procurement of equipment and participation in sports events.
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