THE JHARKHAND STORY DESK
New Delhi, March 9: Indian Paralympian Devendra Jhajharia has been elected as the new president of the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI).
The 42-year-old javelin thrower, who has earned three Paralympic medals – two golds and a silver, has been appointed to the highest position within the organization, succeeding Deepa Malik, a Paralympic silver medalist athlete, as the president of the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI).
Goal of winning 30 medals at Paris Paralympics 2024
In his vision for Indian parasports, Jhajharia stated that the country aspires to capture around 30 medals at the next Paralympics in Paris in 2024.
India had its best-ever Paralympic performance in Tokyo 2020, winning 19 medals (five gold, eight silver, and six bronze).
“We are currently having an athletics event in Bengaluru and currently shooting World Cup is going on in India. So in this, we will identify our good players. We have made a good plan for them… our target is to win 30 medals in the Paris Paralympics,” Jhajharia stated.
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“We will run the junior program and go to the grassroots. We need to work in 700 districts, so we will take talented players to the state and from there we will take them to the national level. Then they will represent India,” he further stated.
“We will help by joining our association. We have a general secretary and vice president and as many teams and state units. We will all come together and make a plan. And according to that, we will come forward. Our target will be to win more than 30 medals. For that we will do separate planning and will also hold meetings with the coaches,” he added.
Sports Ministry lifted PCI’s suspension last week
In February of this year, the Sports Ministry suspended the government recognition of the PCI, citing delays in conducting elections after the executive committee’s term expired and non-compliance with its guidelines.
The ministry stated that PCI’s decision to schedule the election for March 28 was deemed as deliberate, intentional, and lacking a valid justification.
PCI declared that the polls would take place in New Delhi on March 9th, following the suspension.
Last Tuesday, the Sports Ministry lifted the suspension of the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) with immediate effect.
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