PCI chief Deepa Malik has hopes from para-athletes
New Delhi, August 23
Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) chief Deepa Malik is expecting the country’s para-athletes to create history by recording its best-ever performance at Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games beginning tomorrow.
India will field its biggest contingent with 54 athletes set to compete in nine sports — archery, athletics, badminton, canoeing, shooting, swimming, powerlifting, table tennis and taekwondo.
“Absolutely, my expectations have already gone beyond what I was expecting. This year, India is sending the largest-ever contingent. I am very hopeful that we are going to create history,” Malik said.
“It’s a contingent which is three times bigger in number, we have added four more sports in the past four-five years of gap between 2016-21. Almost two years have gone in the pandemic but despite that it’s a huge leap in the number of athletes qualifying,” Malik said during a virtual press.
The first woman from India to win a Paralympics medal, Malik said the statistics are looking bright for the Indian contingent. “It’s not just qualification it is also acquiring the quota on the basis of world rankings. The statistics are looking very bright, athletes have done pretty well in the selection trials and the kind of current world rankings they are holding look very promising. Because the number of participation and the number of sports have increased, we have top-ranking athletes that gives us a very good indication that it’s going to be great Paralympics for Indian history.”
At the Rio Games in 2016, the Indian contingent returned with four medals, including two gold, a silver and a bronze. Malik, who was the silver medallist in shot put back then, said the athletes have adapted well to the conditions in the Games Village.
Talking about the Covid restrictions, she said “We have to submit our samples every morning for testing. Before entering any place you have to give your temperature and maintain a distance. In the village there are designated lanes.” — PTI
