Special champions yearn for recognition

Balu, a special child, was part of the Indian team that won silver medal in floor hockey event at Special Olympics World Winter Games held in South Korea in 2013. Another special child, Muthukumar, was part of the Indian volleyball team that won bronze at Special Olympics World Summer Games in USA. Similarly, Jose Merlin won silver at Bocce at Asia-Pacific Games that was conducted in 2013 in Australia. 

Parents of those kids claim that they made several representations to the government but in vain. Pandian, father of Balu, said that he was made shuttle between the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT) and the Commissionerate for Differently-abled. Officials at the Commissionerate informed him that SDAT was the competent authority to distribute cash reward for them, but SDAT authorities directed him back to the Commissionerate.

Fed up by the apathy of government officials, he filed a writ petition at the High Court, which citing two GOs directed the government to file their response in the issue. We will fight till the end to get the prize amount, said Pandian. 

Their coach Jeyapaul, Madurai district coordinator for Special Olympics, cited two GOs, No 29 and 100, through which two special children from Chennai were given cash prize in 2015. “The three achievers are eagerly looking forward for recognition. The announcement of Rs 2 crore prize money to Mariappan has renewed their interests,” said Jeyapaul.