Khel Ratna recognition will inspire others, feels Jhajharia

Devendra Jhajharia believes the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award recommendation for him will “surely inspire” other para-athletes to dream big.

“I am really delighted to be recommended for this award and I am hopeful that other athletes would take inspiration from this and perform their best and aim for big,” Jhajaria said here. He was speaking to reporters ahead of the ‘Kranti Daud’ racing event, organised by NGO Aapan Sare.

Jhajaria thanked his mother who helped him at every juncture, including encouraging him to take up sports despite meeting with a mishap when he was just eight. “The country aimed for gold in Olympics and I am privileged and lucky to get two gold in the events,” the para athlete from Rajasthan said.

Jhajaria said that the Maharashtra government should upgrade facilities for all the paralympians. “They can provide better facilities for the sportsmen. Compared to other countries the facilities in India were not up to the mark,” he said.

Jhajaria opined that youths at the school and college level should be educated on the ill-effects of doping.

He felt he should have got Khel Ratna award 12 years ago when he created the first record.