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What's the story?
Indian sports has seen immense success this year with our athletes giving their best shot. The World Dwarf Games were held last week in Canada, where India's pride reached its peak with the athletes bringing home 37 medals.
Admirably, these included 15 Golds as well. These remarkable sportsmen were felicitated in Toronto on their way back to India on Independence Day.
In case you didn't know...
The World Dwarf Games' 7th edition was held over a period of one week at the University of Guelph in Ontario province. This event featured almost 400 sportsmen from 24 countries.
Some of the medal winners included Joby Matthew who bagged two golds, a bronze and three silvers. Arunachalam Nalini was also a multiple medal-winner, bagging five, inclusive of a gold. CV Rajanna won three golds.
The heart of the matter
Stating that such recognition was very rare for them, dressed in their blue national kit, the 21-member team was called on stage to very loud applause as they were felicitated by India’s consul general, Dinesh Bhatia.
While their performance and determination to make their country proud was fruitful, the struggles that the athletes had to go through, however, was heart rending. C.V Rajanna, who bagged three Golds was in charge of their logistics and paperwork throughout the trip.
This, he claimed was due to the fact that they have no support from the central as well as state governments, added to which they also lack sponsors. With their determination to make a mark internationally, many of them also resorted to loans in order to reach Canada.
Their struggle continued when they arrived in Toronto, where they were unable to afford hotel rooms. After a Facebook plea, NGO Sringeri Vidya Bharati Foundation arranged lodging at its community centre for them.
In order to make their journey easier, the Toronto Transit Commission also did their bit and offered the athletes free trips to and from Bloor, where the Indian Consulate is located. This came after the athletes had expressed an enthusiastic desire to ride the subway.
Whats' next?
Having made India proud, despite the struggles faced, it is yet to be seen if these sportsmen will receive their due in the form of sponsors as well as aid from the state and central governments.
Author's take
Even though our Indian athletes proved their mettle in Canada, the struggles that they faced just to participate is saddening and cannot be over looked. They carved a niche for themselves, not only in the sporting world, but also in the hearts of the common man. They became a source of inspiration, making us believe that adversity in any form can never dampen one's spirits.
