In the recently concluded Deaflympics 2017 held in Samsun, Turkey, Indian athletes made the country proud by winning 5 medals, all in different sports. However, the players, who happen to be hearing-impaired, got extremely disappointed when they found out that nobody either from the Sports Authority of India (SAI) or the sports ministry were present at the airport to receive them. Stunned by the government’s apathy, the Indian athletes protested at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi right after they arrived on August 1 at 5:00 am.
As reported by the news agency ANI, the Indian contingent, which included 46 athletes and their support staff, tried to register their protest with Minister of Sports, Vijay Goel, however, they were unable to get in touch with him.
Meanwhile, Indian Deaflympics team’s interpreter Ketan Shah spoke to ANI and said,”The day we won the medals, we told the government that we have made the nation proud. These medal winners made the nation proud, but no one, not even the sports minister, is here to welcome us.”
“We want either the sports minister or any government official comes here and appreciates our players. We had informed them that we will be coming on August 1, but we haven’t got any reply. We have been trying to contact officials, but we are just being told that they are unavailable,” he added.
Deaf players including medal winners refuse to leave Delhi airport, complain no one from the Govt is there to receive them #Deaflympics2017 pic.twitter.com/bi4baN2Wqm
— ANI (@ANI_news) August 1, 2017
These medal winners made nation proud but no one not even sports minister here to welcome us: Ketan Shah,Project manager #Deaflympics2017 pic.twitter.com/AIjnXd8Oqa
— ANI (@ANI_news) August 1, 2017
The Indian contingent participated in a total of eight disciplines at the Deaflympics. Out of those eight disciplines, they won medals in three including gold and bronze in wrestling, bronze in lawn tennis and silver in golf.
