Webinar – Lives of Blind Sportspersons

On 2nd August 2020, the Blind Bankers of India, in collaboration with the Indian Blind Sports Association (IBSA), organized an insightful webinar on the ‘Lives of Blind Sportspersons’. Held from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM, the session aimed to raise awareness and answer fundamental questions surrounding sports opportunities for visually impaired individuals in India.

The webinar addressed key topics such as how blind individuals can begin their journey in sports, the viability of sports as a full-time career, national and international sporting opportunities for the blind, and the various government provisions available for persons with disabilities (PWD) in sports.

The distinguished panel included:

1. Mr. K. C. Pande – Associated with the Blind Relief Association, Delhi for over 55 years and serving as Honorary Executive Secretary since 2005.
2. Mr. David A. – Honorary General Secretary, Indian Blind Sports Association.
3. Dr. Satyapal Singh – Chief Coach, Indian Blind Sports Association and recipient of the Dronacharya Award.
4. Mr. Ramkaran Singh – Arjuna Awardee, 2012.
5. Mr. Ankur Dhama – Arjuna Awardee, 2018.
6. Mr. Avnil Kumar – Bronze Medalist, Asian Para Games 2018.
7. Ms. Nidhi Mishra – Medalist at the Asian Para Games and a doctoral scholar at Jawaharlal Nehru University.
8. Mr. Ramanjee – Para-athlete and Silver Medalist at the Dubai Athletics Open Championships.
9. Mr. Amit Malik – National-level blind sportsperson and officer at State Bank of India.

The discussion brought forward real-life experiences, challenges, and triumphs of visually impaired athletes, offering inspiration and guidance to aspiring sportspersons with visual impairments.