16 Medals Awarded to PwDs as East Zone Regional Abilympics 2024 Concludes Successfully in Jamshedpur
East Zone Regional Abilympics Concludes Successfully in Jamshedpur, Empowering Persons with Disabilities through Vocational Skills
Jamshedpur – The East Zone Regional Abilympics 2024, organized by the National Abilympic Association of India (NAAI), concluded successfully today at the Tata Steel Technical Institute, Jamshedpur. The event celebrated the exceptional talents of 100 Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) from the Eastern states of West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, and Odisha, with participants showcasing their skills across 15 categories under Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Crafts, Food, and Services.
This edition of the East Zone Regional Abilympics witnessed fierce competition and incredible displays of skill, with 16 participants being awarded medals: 4 Gold, 5 Silver, and 7 Bronze.
Key results included:
– In the ICT category, Chinmay Mandal from West Bengal won Gold in Word Processing, and Jyotirmayee Pradhan from Odisha secured Silver.
– Photography saw Paras Mani Mandal clinch the Gold, while Mukesh Kumar from Bihar won Silver for Data Processing.
The Crafts category featured inspiring performances, with:
– Shubhra Sinha from Bihar, who is Hearing Impaired, winning Silver in Painting, while Vicky Sharma from Jharkhand and Rinki Kumari from Bihar took home Bronze medals in Painting and Embroidery respectively.
In the Hospitality & Restaurant Services category:
– Nityanand from Odisha, also Hearing Impaired, won a Bronze medal from a pool of 25 participants.
Tailoring & Dress Making was one of the standout categories, with seven deserving PwDs being awarded Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals:
– Shamim Alam from Bihar won Gold in Tailoring, while Vinod Kumar from Bihar took home the Silver
– In Dress Making, Gulafshan Bano from Jamshedpur won Gold, Yasin Ansari from Bihar took Silver, and Kunti Kumar from Jamshedpur received Bronze.
Dr. Jitender Aggarwal, Secretary General, National Abilympic Association of India (NAAI), and Founder & CEO, Sarthak Educational Trust, said, “This year’s Abilympics has been a powerful testament to the talent and determination of PwDs across Eastern India. The enthusiasm of participants and their remarkable skills in diverse vocational categories reflect their capability and readiness for inclusion in the workforce. These competitions are pivotal steps in breaking down societal barriers and promoting an inclusive workforce, where every individual has a chance to shine.”
The event was inaugurated by Shri Banna Gupta, Hon. Health Minister of Jharkhand. The event was ably supported by partners like Tata Power (TPCDT), Tata Steel Foundation, IHCL and the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD) under the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, Government of India. The strong support from these organizations reaffirms the critical role vocational skills play in empowering PwDs to achieve self-reliance and dignity of work.
India’s triumph at the 10th International Abilympics in Metz, France, where the team secured seven medals, served as a motivating backdrop for this regional event. The East Zone Abilympics is part of a larger preparation process for the 11th International Abilympics to be held in Finland in 2027, highlighting the journey of PwDs in gaining international recognition for their skills.
The East Zone Regional Abilympics emphasized the importance of vocational training in sectors like ICT, hospitality, retail, and crafts, equipping PwDs with skills essential for self-reliance and opening doors to meaningful employment opportunities.