Over 200 para athletes to participate in state-level games

ITANAGAR, 22 Nov: At least 250 para athletes from the state are expected to participate in the 2nd Arunachal Pradesh State Level Paralympic Games, scheduled to be held from 29 to 30 November at the Sangay Lhaden Sports Academy in Chimpu.

Wheelchair racing will also be included in the Games for the first time. Twenty-five participants have registered for it so far.

It is worth mentioning that, out of the total 28 disciplines of paralympic games, only five are being played in the state: badminton, athletics, powerlifting, chess, and table tennis.

Till date, 25 para athletes from the state have participated in the National Paralympic Games, and six in international paralympic games, including Biri Takar, who recently won a silver medal in the BWF International Para Badminton Championship in Uganda.

Addressing reporters at the press club here on Tuesday, Paralympic Association of Arunachal secretary-general Techi Sonu informed that four sports disciplines, including para badminton, chess and powerlifting, in several categories will be conducted during the Games.

Sonu informed that the winners of the Games will be felicitated on 3 December, which is the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

He further informed that “the event winner will represent Arunachal Pradesh in the upcoming national paralympic sports.”

Sonu also highlighted the lack of infrastructure for disabled sportspersons, and said that this time the organisers managed to include wheelchair racing “in order to educate them that such games also exist.”