Delhi offers para-athletes specialised training, but daily barriers persist

Inside Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (JLN Stadium) Delhi, long jumper Tripti Rajput measures her run-up before each attempt. The stadium is where she trains under a specialised coach while preparing to return to competition after a knee injury.

Rajput is among the para-athletes who have come to Delhi for coaching and sporting infrastructure that are unavailable in smaller cities and towns. However, training in the Capital also means coping with inaccessible public spaces, high living costs and physical strain of frequent travel.

Specialised training

Rajput grew up in Uttar Pradesh. At the age of nine, she accidentally touched an 11,000-volt live wire during heavy rain. She spent a year in hospital following the accident.

She returned to sport while studying in Class 6, taking up kho-kho, karate and netball. She eventually competed at the national level in all three sports. At the time, she did not know that about para sports.

“It was my physical education teacher who conducted research and told me that such a category existed,” she said.

“Once I shifted to para-athletics, I realised my energy was better spent, and I was able to maximise my power and potential,” she added.

Rajput now trains at JLN Stadium under Dronacharya awardee Satyapal Singh. She has won a silver medal in the long jump at the Khelo India Para Games and bronze medals in the 100m, 200m and long jump at the Senior Nationals.

Her training was interrupted by a severe knee injury that required surgery in December. Now about 80% recovered, Rajput is concentrating on rehabilitation and preparing for the Senior Nationals in February. Her longer-term target is the 2028 Paralympic Games in Los Angeles.

Accessibility outside sporting venues

However, the facilities at JLN Stadium do not assuage the difficulties that para-athletes encounter elsewhere in the city.

Olympic Gold Quest India Senior Manager Sapna Kulkarni said finding accessible parking and entrances remain difficult for wheelchair users. Olympic Gold Quest is a non-profit sports foundation that supports athletes across India.

“When a wheelchair user goes somewhere it is very difficult at first to find accessible parking,” Kulkarni said.

“From there, if you want to go inside a venue or mall there should be an accessible entryway. We park, take our bags and walk in, which are basic things. For them, even these basic movements become highly challenging.”

Long flights and train journeys can also cause joint and body stiffness among para-athletes, who may require longer recovery periods.

“Unlike able-bodied athletes, who might recover from a long journey within 24 hours, para-athletes frequently require several days of intense physiotherapy and rest after long flights or train journeys,” Kulkarni said.

Cost of living and training

Athletes without sponsorships or government jobs must also bear the cost of living and training in Delhi.

Bobby, a para-athlete from Aligarh competing in the F37 category, participates in the club throw and discus throw. He has competed internationally, including at the Asian Para Games.

“The biggest struggle for a player is managing their budget,” Bobby said. “A player has to spend around Rs 10,000 every month just on rent, food and room maintenance when away from home.”

Equipment, wheelchair maintenance and supplements add to these expenses.

“Families can only support you so much,” he said.

Changing attitudes towards para sports

Kulkarni said attitudes towards people with disabilities had changed as para-athletes gained recognition for their performances.

“Earlier, when we were kids, people used to wonder what could a disabled person do,” she said. “Now, families see that para-sport gives athletes a name, fame, financial stability and social status.”