India should organise Paralympics: Ministers

As many as three Union Ministers today pitched for organising Paralympics in India and said more sports facilities and stadiums will be provided to encourage players with disabilities in the country.
For promoting sports among the differently-abled, the Centre will establish five National Level Disability Sports Centres in separate zones in the country, Social Justice Minister Thaawarchand Gehlot said.
The announcement was made at an event organised here to felicitate the Rio Paralympics medalists, members of T-20 Asia Cup Indian Blind Cricket Team and Indian Blind Para & Para Judo Team.
Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan), under Social Justice Ministry presented cash awards of a total of Rs 90 lakh to the Rio Paralympics medalists and Rs 28.5 lakh to 19 members of the Indian Blind Cricket team.

Extending his support to organise Paralympics in the country, Gehlot promised all possible help to players with disabilities.
At the same event, President of Paralympics Committee of India and Minister of State for Urban Development Rao Inderjit Singh proposed that India should organise Paralympics.

"Recognising these players for the achievements, what they have done is great, but I feel we should use them as a nucleus to prepare for the Japan Olympics in 2020," Singh added.
Calling for equal status to all sports and players, Sports Minister Vijay Goel extended his full cooperation for organising Paralympics in India.
Goel also declared that all sports facilities and stadiums will be thrown open to encourage sports in the country.

He also informed that for recognising and providing platform to talented players, government will soon launch a web portal.