New Delhi, 01 November (H.S.): Deepa Malik, India’s first woman Paralympic medallist and a Padma Shri awardee, on Sunday inaugurated the 28th World Para Armwrestling Championship at a hotel in East Delhi.

The competition is being held alongside the 47th World Armwrestling Championship, which began on October 26 and will continue until November 7. More than 400 para-athletes from over 60 countries are participating in the international event.

Satya Prakash Sangwan, Vice-President of the Paralympic Committee of India and former Chef de Mission of the Indian contingent at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, was also present at the inaugural ceremony.

Dr Deepa Malik currently serves as the South Asia sub-regional representative on the Executive Board of the Asian Paralympic Committee. She has also previously served as President of the Paralympic Committee of India.

Addressing the inaugural ceremony, Malik welcomed all the athletes and delegates. She expressed her gratitude to Preeti Jhangiani, President of the People's Armwrestling Federation of India, Vice-President of the Asian Armwrestling Federation and Co-founder of the Pro Panja League. She said Jhangiani had provided her with an opportunity to connect with Assen Hadjitodorov, President of the World Armwrestling Federation, and Mircea Simionescu-Simicel, its General Secretary.

She said the true purpose of sport was to foster friendships, break barriers and bring people together beyond boundaries. Sport also provides an opportunity to understand different cultures and learn from one another, she added, describing this as the true spirit of sportsmanship.

Malik said the gathering of more than 400 para-athletes from over 60 countries in India reflected the country's progress towards developing an inclusive sporting ecosystem. She also appreciated the efforts being made under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure equal opportunities for all and promote inclusive development.

Recalling the occasion when India was entrusted with hosting the championships in Bulgaria, Malik said she had been personally present there when the responsibility was handed over to the country. She expressed happiness at seeing the event finally become a reality and thanked Preeti Jhangiani and Pro Panja League Co-founder Parvinn Dabass for organising the international championship.

Malik further observed that para-armwrestling was steadily gaining popularity. Being an athlete myself, this is a moment of personal joy for me. It is also the festive season in India, and we will be celebrating Diwali in just a few days. I extend my warm festive greetings to everyone and hope that this sporting event proves to be a wonderful experience for all, she said.

Satya Prakash Sangwan praised the arrangements made for the championship and said it was heartening to see athletes from so many countries arriving in India to participate. He congratulated all the organisers, particularly Preeti Jhangiani, for successfully organising the event and extended his best wishes to all the participating athletes.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar