Sports Minister lauds amputee Everest climber Arunima Sinha

Union Sports Minister Jitendra Singh has congratulated Arunima Sinha for becoming the first amputee to scale Mount Everest.

In a statement, Singh said: "Congratulations for having scaled the Mount Everest. This incredible achievement shows your sheer grit and indomitable courage against heavy odds."

"Your efforts and achievements show that a physical handicap is not a deterrent to achieve greatest heights and glory. This will be a source of inspiration to athletes not only from India but from across the world. Wish you many more successes in life," he added.

Sinha, a former national level volleyball player, had lost her right leg after being thrown off from a moving train by some hoodlums who were attempting to snatch a chain that was on her neck.

Sinha, a resident of Ambedkar Nagar in Uttar Pradesh, was pushed out of the general compartment of Padmawati Express for resisting a chain-snatching attempt by some criminals, while travelling from Lucknow to Delhi on April 12, 2011.

She was hit by a passing train and was seriously injured. She was hospitalised with serious leg and pelvic injuries and in a bid to save her life, doctors had to amputate her left leg below the knee.