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The president of the suspended Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) Deepa Malik on Sunday said that "things will become difficult" if the suspension continues since lots of para events are lined up during a busy year including the 2024 Paris Paralympics.
While speaking to ANI, Malik said that this year be crucial since India will be hosting the World Championship and World Cup Para Shooting. She also hoped that the suspension would not leave any negative impact on the upcoming Para events. "2024 is a very important year. We have the World Championship and World Cup Para Shooting which we are hosting. We have started hosting the Athletics Open Championship. This is the time when all the talent identification and finalization of the team for 2024 Paris is going to happen. Things will become difficult if the suspension continues because a lot depends on a functional Paralympic Committee, which is important. Above all, I think given the World Cup Para Shooting being hosted in India...we all must ensure that this suspension does not have a negative impact," Malik told ANI. The World Para Shooting World Cup set to be hosted in the national capital from March 7 to 15. On Saturday, the Sports Ministry of India suspended the PCI for failing to conduct elections on time and non-compliance with guidelines. The Sports Ministry stated that the PCI's decision to hold the election on March 28 "is willful, intentional, and without any valid reason." When asked about the mistreatment faced by India para-athlete Suvarna Raj at the New Delhi Airport, Malik said that it should not be done. She asked the authorities to organize more awareness programmes to prevent such treatment toward disabled people. "If any disabled person is suffering or their dignity is harmed, then me being a disabled person I believe it should not be done. More than sharing about what happened, we have to look at the solutions to it. We should organize more and more awareness programmes and sensitive training and it should be revised continuously...," she added. On Friday, Suvarna travelled from New Delhi to Chennai on seat number 39D(Aisle) and complained that her personal wheelchair wasn't treated properly. She also complained about the attitude of crew members as she informed them to give her personal wheelchair at the aircraft door, but the staff didn't respond to her request. "I was travelling with IndiGo, I told 10 times at Delhi Airport that I wanted my personal wheelchair at the aircraft door, but no matter how many times you tell IndiGo or any other airlines they don't listen. Look what they have done with my wheelchair. This wheelchair is worth 3 lakhs and it is made according to our needs. If you say something to them they say that it will go to (luggage) belt. If I am giving my wheelchair at the aircraft door then I should receive it there," Suvarna said in a video shared by her husband Pradeep Raj. (ANI)
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