Legendary athlete Milkha Singh feels that the paralympics deserve the highest recognition and awards that the country can bestow upon them as they are the perfect examples of what can be achieved against all odds. "These athletes deserve the highest recognition and awards that our country can bestow on them because they are shining examples of what a society can achieve through hard work, determination and commitment," the former athlete, known as 'Flying Sikh', said. An Olympic medallist directly qualifies for the Khel Ratna award during an Olympic year but there is no such policy in place for the paralympians. "I had been invited by the Paralympic Committee of India to flag off the 'Sport for Development Run' in 2014 and I was amazed at the zest and enthusiasm of the paralympic athletes who I had met that day. I thank you all for giving us that inspiration and motivation and for keeping the National Flag flying'," he added.

Source: dna September 15, 2016 12:45 UTC