'Goonga Pehlwan' urges Har govt to recognise deaf athletes

New Delhi: Wrestler Virender Singh Yadav, who is among the Padma Shri awardees this year, has called on Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar to recognise the state's deaf sportspersons like him as para-athletes.

Singh, who was born in Sasroli near Jhajjar in Haryana, cannot speak or hear. On Wednesday, he posted a picture of himself sitting on the footpath outside the Haryana Bhawan here with his Padma Shri, Arjuna Award and other international medals.

"Honourable Chief Minister ML Khattar, I am sitting on the footpath of your residence Delhi Haryana Bhawan and I will not move from here till you don't give equal rights to deaf players like the para athletes. When the Centre gives us equal rights, then why not you?" Singh tweeted.

There are no Paralympic categories for athletes who are only deaf and the International Committee of Sports for the Deaf (ICSD) is the body which conducts sports events specifically for them.

The Deaflympics is recognised by the International Paralympic Committee but deaf athletes are not a part of the more celebrated Paralympic Games. Singh received the Padma Shri from President Ram Nath Kovind at a ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan here on Tuesday, a photo of which was tweeted by Khattar, congratulating the celebrated grappler who inspired an acclaimed documentary on his life called 'Goonga Pehelwan'.