34-yr-old para-athlete holds protest, seeks employment
Anil Datt
Ludhiana, July 24
Tarun Sharma (34), a para-athlete (karate), staged a protest outside the office of the Deputy Commissioner here today. Winner of over 12 medals, including gold, at different international competitions, Tarun polished shoes to highlight his protest, seeking employment from the state government.
He continued the protest for over three hours and later, submitted a memorandum to the Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC), urging him to
forward it to the Chief Minister. Tarun was accompanied by volunteers of an NGO, headed by Gaurav Kaur, who held placards bearing slogans, advocating for equal employment opportunities for para-athletes.
Tarun, a native of Khanna town, is the lone para-karate player (50 per cent disabled-locomotors) from the state who, during the past 10 years has won nine medals in the national championships, besides 18 medals in international competitions, including Para Asian Karate Championship in Malaysia, International Karate Championship at Pune, Para Asian Karate Championship at Uzbekistan and karate championships held at Germany, Belgium, Hungary, Ukraine and United States.
A degree holder in karate coaching, approved by the Karate Association of India, Tarun is a graduate from Panjab University, Chandigarh. He is running a vegetable vend at Khanna. He has been imparting training to needy players at a small academy, run by him at his house, without charging any fee from the latter.
The para-athlete, at present ranked 5th in the world, 2nd in Asia and first in India, rued that successive state governments had failed to provide him employment, despite making tall promises to honour such players in a similar way like other general athletes who brought fame to the state and the country.
He said he would stage a protest outside the residence of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann in Chandigarh if his demand of employment was not met within 10 days.
Ranked 1st in country, he is running a veggie vend
Para-athlete (karate) Tarun Sharma, at present ranked 5th in the world, 2nd in Asia and first in India, is running a vegetable vend in Khanna. He has been imparting training to needy players at a small academy, run by him at his house, without charging any fee from the latter.
