COVID-19: Para-athletics coach Gajender tests positive

Para-athletics coach Gajender has tested positive for COVID-19, and is under home quarantine currently as he is asymptomatic. His wife para-athlete Simran has tested negative, but is under home quarantine.

Last week, para-athletics coach Nawal Singh had also tested positive for the coronavirus. Singh was a part of the national camp that was underway at New Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (JNS).

On December 3, the Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Kiren Rijiju attended a virtual session in the presence of Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) president Deepa Malik and revered Indian para-athletes Devendra Jhajharia, Parul Parmar, and Shatabdi Awasthi.

The session was held on the occasion of the 29th World Disability Day. During the session, Rijiju mentioned that all the para-athletes of the country are the strength and the source of inspiration for everyone and the Sports Ministry is leaving no stone unturned to support them.

"Our para-athletes and 'Divyang' warriors are our strength. They give us inspiration. In our Sports Ministry, there is no difference between an able and a differently-abled sportsperson. We felicitate them with the same amount of recognition, prize money, and so on," the Sports Minister said in an official release.

Rijiju also added that he will request the state governments to support the Paralympians in their respective region in the best possible way.

"I will request the respective state governments to have a policy for the 'Divyang' warriors like the central government has contributed, to support the Paralympians in the best way possible, from financial to coaching and training facilities to proper livelihood and so on. The government, the PCI, and everyone are a team and we need to carry on our work of supporting our para-athletes," said Rijiju.

( With inputs from ANI )