The recent 2024 Paris Summer Olympic Games were a grand spectacle that captivated the world, where athletes from every corner of the globe pushed the boundaries of human capability. Nations celebrated their victories with exuberance, their stories of dedication and sacrifice lauded by everyone, and their achievements etched into the nation’s sports history annals. With their extraordinary performance, many of these names fulfilled the nation’s desires and dreams and became household names. Shreyesh and Manu Bhaker, Neeraj Chopra and Sindhu are examples of this.
But there’s a darker side to this celebration of the human spirit–a glaring inequality that is almost racist in its subtlety and pervasive in its impact. There is a disparity in how we address and react to the Paralympics, as if the challenges are somehow less, the medals are of a different hue, or the gold is of a lesser carat. Pat yourself if you know Bhagyashri Mahavrao Jadhav and Sumit Antil and their sports: the flagbearer for India at the Para Olympics 2024. Or if the names of sportspersons like Nitesh Kumar (Badminton), Avani Lekhara (Shooting), Bhabina Patel ( Table Tennis), Yogesh Kathuniya Mariyappan Thangavelu and Preethi Pal (Athletics), and sound familiar to you. I did not know many of these names before I started writing this article.
Like the Olympics, the Paralympics are a stage where athletes represent their countries, strive for excellence, overcome incredible odds, and inspire millions. Yet, the enthusiasm, pride, and recognition accompanying Olympic victories are noticeably dimmed when it comes to the Paralympics. This disparity in perception is not just unfair–it’s unjust.
Double Standards in Recognition
Consider the emotional wave that swept across the country when Manu Bhakar won the bronze or the emotional tsunami that cut across the nation when Vinesh Phogat lost her chance because she was a few grams overweight. These were moments of collective pride and charged emotions of national unity, where the athlete was hailed as a hero.
Compare this to the reaction when a Paralympian achieves the same feat. Fortunately, nowadays, they make it to the sports page and the front page like Avani Lekhera and Mona Agarwal did for their win in shooting. However, the applause is fainter and lasts that much shorter. The media coverage is sparse, and the recognition is fleeting. It’s as if their gold is not as golden, and their victory is not as victorious.
This disparity reveals a troubling double standard. Paralympic athletes train just as hard, if not harder, than their Olympic counterparts. They face the same pressures, gruelling schedules, more demanding physical challenges and most often, a challenging sponsor and monetary gap. Yet, the world seems to view their achievements as lesser, as if the effort required to overcome physical disabilities diminishes the value of their triumphs. This is not just a failure to recognise individual merit; it’s a failure to acknowledge the full spectrum of human potential.
The Need for a Paradigm Shift
This almost dismissive attitude towards Paralympic achievements reflects a more profound societal bias that equates physical ability with worth. This bias sees disability not as a different ability but as a deficiency, something less than a whole. This mindset is changing but at a pace that is too slow for comfort. It must change now.
The Paralympics should be celebrated with the same enthusiasm, pride, and respect as the Olympics. Paralympians, too, represent the countries. Their dreams are just as big, their efforts just as intense, and their victories just as hard-earned. They deserve not only equal recognition but also equal respect.
Steps Toward Change
A concerted effort on multiple fronts is needed to address this issue. Fortunately, media coverage of the Paralympics has improved—though still far less than that of the Olympics. Educational campaigns should be launched to raise awareness about the Paralympics, highlighting the athletes’ stories, the challenges they overcome, and the significance of their achievements. Touch your heart, and you will know how much you have celebrated your para Olympians. How have the brands, corporate sectors, and government short-changed them? We talk of equality in sports. Can we start with equality of support, funding, sponsorship, and recognition for Paralympians?
Most importantly, we as individuals need to change our perceptions. We need to challenge our biases and recognise that the value of a medal is not in the physical act of winning it but in the courage, determination, and spirit it represents. The colour of the medal, the carat of its gold, is the same whether it is won at the Olympics or the Paralympics. We must feel the same pride and maybe more when our athletes win in Para Olympics. We must celebrate- but more importantly, we must watch them perform the way we watched and chased our summer Olympians. That may pull the money into the sports, trigger a new wave of recognition and push para-sports.
A Call to Action
It’s time for us to change the narrative. It’s time to celebrate Paralympians not as athletes with disabilities but as athletes. It’s time to give them the recognition they deserve and to be as proud of their achievements as we are of any Olympic victory.
The Paralympics are not a sideshow but a testament to the indomitable human spirit. Let’s honour that spirit with the respect it deserves.
In doing so, we uplift Paralympians and ourselves as we move towards a more inclusive, equal, and just society. Let the pride in our hearts be as strong, the cheers as loud, and the recognition as enduring for every champion—Olympic and Paralympic alike.