New Delhi [India], April 25: A National Level Athletic Meet for Visually Impaired was organised by a Delhi-based NGO, CAMPAIGN FOR DIFFERENTLY ABLED, on 19th April 2025 (8:00 am onwards) at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (Warm up area), New Delhi. This one-of-a-kind event was an attempt to boost the Morale and Cheer, state and national level visually impaired athletes who were vying for gold in athletics at this first-of-its-kind, privately held Athletic Meet. The event was attended by more than 200 athletes from across India competing in 100 m, 400 m, 1500 m, Long Jump and Shotput under T11-T13 categories. On an April afternoon, when temperatures were soaring around 40 degrees Celsius, the energy of athletes was nowhere diminishing. Athletes travelled from the length and breadth of the country to be a part of the event. The realisation was that it’s not the lack of talent in our country but the lack of opportunities to hone their talent, which is keeping India away from podium finishes at the international level.
A long jump athlete travelling from a tribal area near Nagpur with his sports coach confessed that his journey to Delhi started from his village to Nagpur and by train to Delhi. Having only played with a spoon in his mouth balancing the lemon, to be trained as a long jumper for a few weeks, he managed to have a great jump, just missing a podium finish. His commitment was rock solid, and so was the coach who travelled just to give him the feeling of competition. Many such athletes travelled long distances, especially due to a lack of opportunities in sports for the visually impaired and got a stage to compete with state and national level athletes for the first time. 60 medals were up for grabs and were distributed at the end of the event with Rs. 3100, Rs. 2100 and Rs. 1100 as prize money for gold, silver and bronze positions, along with big gift hampers distributed by GNC, RG Cellular and Henfruit for all the winners.
For Jeevesh Gupta (founder, campaign for differently abled), Sandeep Phogaat (Sports Events Expert) and Amarjeet Kumar (National Coach for athletics), co-creators of this event, this is a baby step to realise the different dreams of these visually impaired sports persons and provide them impetus for further growth. The event was attended by dignitaries from the world of para-athletics, including Sh. Rupinder Singh – Ex-National Champion & sports science expert, Ramkaran Singh – Arjuna Awardee & first Indian Paralympic Medalist, Satyapal Singh – Dronacharya & Padma Shree Awardee, along with Asian medallist Ankur Dhama and Paralympic Committee vice-president, Sh. Satya Prakash Sangwan. On this occasion, Sh. Rupinder Singh, Sh. Satypal Singh & Sh. Satya Prakash Sangwan concurred that such championships are the need of the hour, and more NGOs need to come forward to hold such events where hidden talent sees the light of the day, can be identified and honed for podium finishes at international events.
The event was supported by TOHRI Foundation, corporates, societies and individuals from different walks of life, including CMR Group, SRL Laboratories, ABCONIndia Consultants, Radius Events, RG Cellular, Finnacle Capital, Hanwant Rambha Kochhar Manav Seva Charitable Trust and AK Sprinting Club. GNC, Bisleri, Henfruit and National Blind Youth Association were the nutrition and hydration partners for the event.
About Us
Campaign For Differently Abled has been working for the Visually Impaired for the past 15 years with a focus on making them independent and changing their imagery “From Sympathy to Empathy” in our society. They are dedicated towards bringing out the talent of differently abled children in different walks of life, and this event focuses on sports, is an endeavour in that direction. To know more about them, visit: www.colorsofdarkness.com
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