With little over a week to go for the Rio Paralympics, 19 of the country’s highest performing differently-abled athletes are looking to strike gold, while competing against the world’s finest in their respective sports. Athletics comprises majorly of India’s contingent, with 78.96% of the participants. Front-runner to win a medal among the 13 athlete squad is defending Asia –Para Games silver medallist (800m) Ankur Dhama.
The 28-year old has etched a unique record to his name, even before stepping into the Olympic arena in Sambodromo. Ankur is the first ever completely blind athlete across any sport to represent India at the Paralympics. A stat, which once added to the four international medals won in 2016 makes him an automatic nomination for an Arjuna award. However, the Delhi government didn’t even file a nomination across his name for Para-sports this year.
Pay Rs 5 lakhs or no Arjuna Award nomination for you: Delhi Government Sports Officer
A deeper look into proceedings exposes a potential corrupt thought process even in a sport, where extrinsive government assistance is required the most. Speaking exclusively to Sportskeeda, the day before he leaves for Rio, Ankur said, “Firstly, I would like to tell you and everyone who is going to do this story that in no way will this narrated incident affect my performances in Rio. Ever since I started running in 2006, my dream has been to participate at the Paralympics. Now I’m only seconds away from being a medallist, so I will not give up till I’m able till then. But I will also add, that this particular incident close to two months ago temporarily affected my morale.”
No other para-athlete in the country has won as many medals outside India as Ankur Dhama, yet his failure to garner nomination is due to his inability to conjure up Rs 5 lakhs. He added, “On April 18, 2016, I submitted my nomination to Delhi government Sports officer Pradeep Tayal at the Chattarshal stadium, 12 days before the final date. However, when I went there, he told me my achievements were not good enough for an Arjuna award. I told him I didn’t have enough money to even fund my own training, what money would I give. He asked for a total amount of Rs 5 lakhs. When he asked me I was shocked by hearing this. Apart from telling me that my achievement wasn’t good enough, he was asking me for validation about my success. I have won three medals at the Asian Para Games which is equivalent to the Asian Games, do we treat those athletes the same way?”
Born in Baghpat village, Uttar Pradesh to a landless agricultural labourer, Ankur lost his eyesight due to not nursing an eye injury on time. His parents were not able to pay Rs 60,000 for his eye operation. By the age of five, within one year of having the injury he was completely blind. Self-admittedly, Ankur has never even had Rs 1 lakh at the same time with him, let alone pay Rs 5 lakh for an award. India’s national record holder in the 800m, 1500m and 5000m category, he has helped the country enter unchartered territory on the international front, so evidently, he must pay an amount for being acknowledged!
India’s most successful Para-athlete in 2016, doesn’t even have a nomination
Ankur added, “After leaving his office I immediately called my coach Dr Satyapal Singh, who has been helping me with my coaching an all finances since I started running. He asked me to let the Delhi government officials know. I went to even meet the Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi Manish Sisodia, who promised action. I filed an official Action Taken Report (ATR) with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) officials, but no action has been taken against Tayal yet.”
With teary eyes, Ankur approached the Delhi Sports official on deadline day. He went to his knees in the office pleading him to acknowledge his achievements stating over and over again, ‘No one has achieved what I have in India yet,’ Pradeep Tayal remained unmoved. He said in a sarcastic voice, “If you put in this much effort in your running, you might actually get an Arjuna nomination some day.”
The only para-athlete to win an Arjuna this year was Virender Singh, another student of Satyapal, but even he only won two international level medals this year. Ankur achieved a first for India, by winning three medals (1 silver and two bronze) at the Asia-Oceania Para-Athletics Championship. He was also the first Paralympic athletics qualifier in Dubai last year. Prior to his international career, Ankur has won the last seven National Championships, and also hold the national record in 800m, 1500m and 5000m. All of this, with a guide helping run on track as he wouldn’t know which particular turn to take when. His achievements in 2014 were enough to qualify him as an Arjuna Awardee. However, Ankur denied to file a nomination that year.
His coach Satyapal Singh told Sportskeeda, “In 2014, after he medalled at the Asian Games, I asked him to go and file a nomination, but he said he doesn’t deserve it. The year he felt he had proven himself to India, he would go and file a nomination. Hence he chose this year, after the Para-Championships, but upon his rejection he was devastated. He lost all motivation to run and told me he was quitting. What these sports officials in the Delhi government don’t understand is that it is a task for Ankur to even reach the stadium, that itself on a daily basis is a victory for Ankur. All they see is an opportunity to make money.”
With the Paralympic Council of India (PCI) permanent suspended in 2014, athletes from the country have no financial assistance. Satyapal Singh paid Rs 4.5 lakhs for himself, the guide and coach to participate in the Paralympic qualifiers in Dubai early this year. The financial injection worked as Ankur comfortably qualified for Rio with a timing of 4:21 in the 1500m event, four seconds short of his personal best.
There is no proof I have asked for money: Delhi Sports Officer
Sportskeeda attempted to contact Pradeep Tayal regarding this matter, but it was met with stern resistance. Upon calling, he said, “Aap kaun hai? Maine koi paisa nahi manga, aap uss aadmi ko believe kar sakte hai toh mujhe bhi kar sakte hai (If you can believe that guy, you can believe me also). Agar government ya fir Sports department ko koi proof hai woh action lenge, usse zyada mujhe kuch nahi bolna hai (If the Delhi Sports department has proof that I have done this then they will take action, I don’t want to talk about this anymore).
If this particular alleged incident is true, then it raises several pertinent questions. The first, Is this a common practice? Have other awardees paid their way to earn this prestigious honour? How deep rooted is this procedure of asking for money?
Several stories during the Rio Olympics highlighted focussing on the alleged ignorance of Indian sports officials. However, Ankur Dhama’s story has exposed a deep-rooted problem even among the hierarchically lower level office bearers. More than the award, the accompanying Rs five lakhs would have gone a long way in solving Ankur’s financial woes. He currently has zero income, with his monthly finances being paid by coach Dr Satyapal Singh.
The application for Ankur Dhama’s Arjuna Award was never sent to the Sports Ministry, but Ankur’s spirit is far from broken. He said, “Till even one month back I had no motivation, but the only way to show them that I’m above any Arjuna is if I medal at the Paralympics. I leave today with a promise to you, that I will not return without a medal.”
