National Sports Awards: Looking to reward Paralympics medal winners as well, says Anurag Thakur

Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Anurag Thakur on Thursday said the medal winners in the upcoming Tokyo Paralympics will be rewarded at this year's National Sports Awards.

In July, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS) had planned to postpone the national awards for a couple of weeks to include possible Olympic medalists from the upcoming Tokyo 2020 Games.

Anurag Thakur said they are expecting a good show in the upcoming Paralympics just as the Indian contingent rose to the challenge in the Tokyo Olympics.

"Committee has been formed for National Sports Awards but the Paralympics is yet to start. There will be medal winners in Paralympics too. So we want them to be rewarded as well," Anurag told reporters on the sidelines of the National Youth Awards.

"In Olympics, we did well and we have similar hopes from our athletes who will feature in Paralympics," he added.

The Tokyo Paralympics will take place between August 24 and September 5.

Meanwhile, Anurag Thakur will launch a nationwide programme of Fit India Freedom Run 2.0 on August 13. "We are motivating the youths to participate in Fit India Freedom run. 'Fitness ka dose aadha ghanta roz' is necessary for all of us. If the citizens of the country will be fit, India will be fit," he said.

This time Fit India Freedom Runs 2.0 will commence on August 13 and will conclude on October 2. The aim is to encourage people to take up fitness activities such as running and sports in their daily lives and get freedom from obesity, laziness, stress, anxiety, diseases etc.

( With inputs from ANI )

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