India will host the Para Open Games, which will see some top international differently-abled athletes in action here, from February 20 to 26 next year.
Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment Thawar Chand Gehlot announced that his ministry has allocated Rs 20 crore for the multi-sporting event.
"Delhi will host Para Games from February 20-26 and it will be held with help of Sports Ministry and Sports Authority of India and also with other stakeholders," Gehlot said here last night at the send-off function for Indian para athletes for the Para Asian Games to be held in Incheon from October 18 to 24.
Ninety Indian athletes, including the likes of 2012 Paralympic silver medallist H N Girisha and 2004 Athens Paralympics and 2013 IPC World Championships gold medallist Devendra Jhajharia, are taking part in the Para Asian Games.
Sports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal was also present at the send-off function.
"We expect our para athletes to do well in Incheon and we will also organise a felicitation function after your return with medals just like the ministry did in case of able-bodied athletes," Sonowal said.
Paralympic Committee of India President Rajesh Tomar told PTI that the Delhi event will see participation from South Asian countries and from other continents as well.
"The event will be named inaugural Para Open Games. Since it will be an 'Open' event, it will see participation from South Asian countries, Europe and America. I have recently made a presentation to the International Paralympic Committee regarding this event and the IPC has given me positive feedback," Tomar said.
He said the international event will also allow India to have more para-athletes 'classified' to be eligible to take part in international events.
"In para sports you need competition among athletes of similar disability so as not to gain advantage. So you need classification. In para athletics only, you can have more than 150 events. This classification is done by classifiers (doctors) from IPC and our doctors cannot do that," he said.
"In India, we only have some 250 classified para-athletes who have done this by taking part in international events which is very costly and mostly they have taken part at their own cost.
