Media matters: Why equality means visibility for Para-athletes in India

Exclusion from social life starts for many through negative perception and discrimination based on disability. The distinct experience of a disabled person - born with an ailment or affected by unforeseen circumstance - brings a sense of pity and concurrent avoidance. The restrictions on movement and communication magnify the public scrutiny and often leave the spirit of the person shattered.

Sport has proven to have the ability to keep troubled individuals out of trouble, and turn them into hard workers who aim to push harder. It is accompanied by an unmistakable feeling of potential, which takes you far away from self-despair, and makes you feel like a 'pahalwan'. This common leisure activity for a normal person, may be what helps a disabled person achieve knowledge, social effectiveness, independence and a sense of community.

It provides health benefits, increases mobility, involves social interactions which can train people for other pursuits and spend their time in a productive manner. The Paralympic games exist to give fearless people who live strenuous lives a chance to show the world how extraordinary they truly are. India competed against 134 other countries, who sent their most talented and dominant athletes, and placed 24th. There is acute competition, and it is set to become more demanding.

As the fire becomes a roaring blaze, we, the spectators, have every opportunity to realize that there is no walk in the park for these flag bearers and that respect is long overdue.

Turning the Tide

Firstly, progress has been made. India has set the norm along with the Unite States (of America) in compensating champions in both the Olympics and Paralympics equally. Where India outperforms the United States is that our bronze medalists get more prize money than US gold medalists. Perhaps this is only fair given that they elevated the status of 2.68 crore Indians, and did something against improbable odds at the world stage.

Neither London 2012 nor Rio 2016 could compete with Tokyo's ratings as 14 million viewers made it the highest watched Paralympics in history. The roar of these lionhearts was heard, pole to pole and moments from the incredible spectacle created energetic fans who amplified the exposure and acclaim for these fierce competitors who overcame physical and mental blocks with an indomitable spirit.

Alas, once the Olympic torch dies off, so does the media attention. The Paralympic games are held with the ideal to create conditions for athlete empowerment through self-determination" - in so doing, making a "contribution to a better world for all people with a disability". But the public has a short memory and once the press coverage wears off, the struggle rumbles on till the next display. A spectacular performance at the world stage is next to impossible and should be celebrated long after its shining image has left the collective consciousness.

Women's sports has grown slowly and steadily over the years and has found commercial success partly due to the enthusiastic media coverage. It has established the goal of dismantling any myths about the athleticism and sporting talents of women. Participation and public support is invaluable towards awakening financial potential in any sport and television coverage plays a key role in motivating aspiring sportspersons.

With the popularity of the internet, Para sports is at a pivotal point as interesting content at any scale can be made commercial. All you need are phones and people with the creativity to produce interesting content of these athletes year round to keep them in the public eye.

Public appearances, media interactions, and social media presence generate benefits such as bringing sponsors, top level professionals, funds for sporting facilities. IPL, Pro Kabaddi and other successful franchises have leveraged digital marketing and engage with fans all through the year, which helps create and maintain a wider audience. Blogs dedicated to Para sports can create followings of the sport which can lead to live sports feed and persons with experience in growing and sustaining a market.

Deserving of the spotlight

Among the obstacles faced by Para athletes are attitudes and economic constraints. Spectatorship of Para sports needs a branding change from a political movement masquerading as a sports event, to a battle royale of nontraditional competitors, each more determined and skilled as the rest. Sumit Antils 68.95 is as impressive if not more than Neeraj Chopras 87.58 metres considering that it is a world record, but Antil will receive only a fraction of the fanfare.

It is impossible to even find our Paralympic champions on the BAI's official ID list given in their website. Brands don't want to sponsor because of the low viewership. But most of the promotion is towards the Olympic games, which leads to higher enthusiasm and eyeballs for it. The mere fact that a para athlete by the name of Praveen Kumar won the gold in the Junior National Championships, after battling against 16 able bodied athletes, should tell you about the potential of para sport to bring about unparalleled change.

Introducing rules and regulations to incorporate revenue and sporting rights is paramount as there are no MYAS or MSJE guidelines for protecting para athletes. In 2016, India had not even bought broadcasting rights to the Paralympics. Many of India's proud moments were forgotten and ignored by the media. While Sony covers the Olympics and gets 88 million, Paralympics 2020 was sidelined and broadcasting rights sold to Eurosport, which was yet to build a base in India.

This has denied financial opportunities and recognition for our para athletes who have given a championship effort. Labor rights for disabled sports persons must be codified, and winning international championships for India must not be overlooked. Taxation being relaxed can help these athletes have more flexibility with their hard-earned money. If the end goal in mind is to end discrimination we should aim to replicate campaigns like "We the 15" on a national scale, which puts disability at the heart of inclusion. It aims to provide accessibility, visibility and inclusion to the 1.2 billion disabled in the world, which roughly amounts to 15 percent of the global population.8 Regular interviews will allow athletes to be less inhibited when talking about their experiences and to build a network by reaching more people. Corporations through their CSR can play a huge part by supporting access to sports and games for the disabled.

No person should be discriminated against on the ground of disability and access to hostels and sporting facilities should be readily available to all promising talents. Concerned journalists can help by calling on the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) and the Sports Ministry for developing policies that ensure athletes are protected and prevent abuse of power by federations and corporations. This is a good way to capture the public's imagination.

It can also help by securing sporting aids and expensive accessibility devices courtesy of established outfitters looking to partner and grow athletes, which can help break down the barrier of mobility.

Promoting Skill development programs which mentor specialist coaching staff, will ensure more retired athletes take to coaching and help develop our youngsters. To some para sports is a way to forget about life's toughest realities. To others it's a chance to escape the shackles of economic burden. But to the viewing public, it is a gift because it proves that inspiration can come from anyone because we all have this remarkable feature called the human spirit.

Article Authored By Vilay Sports