PANAJI: Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant said that the state government will develop divyang friendly infrastructure all over Goa so that atleast ten para swimmers can be trained and participates in 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics. He made this statement during the closing ceremony of the 24th National Para Swimming Competition, which was organized by the Office of the State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities and the Department for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, in collaboration with the Paralympic Committee of India and the Sports Authority of Goa at the SAG Swimming Pool in Campal.
Present at the event were Minister for the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities Subhash Phal Dessai,, State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities Guruprasad Pawaskar, Secretary of the Office of the State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities Taha Haaziq, and prominent officials from the Paralympic Committee of India, including President Devendra Jhajharia, General Secretary Jaywant Singh, and Dr V K. Dabas. The 24th National Para Swimming Competition witnessed a record participation of 518 para swimmers from twenty-eight states, with Karnataka emerging as the overall champion. Additionally, para athletes set a remarkable twenty-nine new records across various swimming categories during the event at the Campal swimming pool.
During the ceremony, Devendra Jhajharia, President of the Paralympic Committee of India, commended State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities Guruprasad Pawaskar for his outstanding contributions to the welfare of individuals with disabilities in Goa and expressed his commitment to support him in future events organized in the state.