Ignored by officials, Deaflympics team stages protest at airport
Indian contingent of hearing impaired athletes, returning to the country after its best ever performance in the Deaflympics — clinching five medals, including a gold — refused to leave the airport in New Delhi on Tuesday morning after realising that not a single official from the Sports Authority of India (SAI) was present to welcome them.
The contingent of 46 athletes and support staff felt the apathy from officials indicated the government was not acknowledging their success at the Games held at Samsun, Turkey. Apparently, the athletes also wanted to speak to sports minister Vijay Goel.
“We participated in eight disciplines. winning medals in three. We won gold and bronze in wrestling, bronze in lawn tennis and silver in golf,” Ketan Shah, team’s interpreter, said.
“These medal winners made the nation proud, but no one, not even the sports minister, is here to welcome us.” The athletes staged protest for over six hours before Dilip Singh, a project officer with SAI, reached the airport.
The SAI official then took the players to Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium and it has been told that they will be taken to Shastri Bhawan.
Avinash Gupta, father of Deaflympics tennis player Parul Gupta, said, “What these players wanted was just a small welcome and a photograph with the minister. It’s sad that they had to stage a protest.”
The gold was won by Virender Singh in 74kg freestyle wrestling competition. He defeated S Chakvetadze of Georgia 18-9 to clinch the big prize.