Constructive Interventions to Boost India’s Quest for Olympic Medals
As an active collaborator of Olympic Gold Quest (OGC), Hexaware has contributed to committed efforts enabling Olympic and Paralympic athletes to compete and win at coveted national and international tournaments, says Dr. Vishwanath Joshi, Chief People Officer.
Olympic Gold Quest, a non-profit organization which scouts for medal talent, and supports such sportspersons complementing the efforts of the Indian government and various other sports federations. Hexaware joined hands with OGQ, firmly believing in their vision that winning an Olympic gold medal lifts the image of a country itself. Hexaware took it up as a CSR initiative and started supporting OGQ from 2018 onwards, joining hands with them to help deserving athletes perform better and win more Olympic Gold medals for India.
So far, Hexaware has supported 6 women Olympic athletes and 37 para-athletes. Two of the 6 women athletes, Vinesh Phogat (wrestler) and Manu Bhaker (shooter) qualified for and participated at the Tokyo Olympics 2020. When OGQ started supporting para-athletes in 2019, Hexaware was one of the first donors to commit support to these efforts. With the assured support and commitment, OGQ was able to completely change the Indian Paralympics sports scenario. The impact and improvement were unbelievable, and the proof came in the form of a record 19 medals won by India at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, the highest medal tally ever. 10 out of these 19 medal winners were supported by OGQ.
Activities:
As a part of this effort, we provide support to the athletes by providing them or supporting them with:
● Access to world class equipment and sports facilities
● Medical treatment & rehabilitation for sports injuries
● Expert coaching and training for better performance
● Support to compete in international competitions
Impact:
There are many winners and gold medallists sponsored by OGQ and Hexaware:
● Para Athlete Simran Sharma wins in the 3rd Indian Open National Para Athletics Championships held in Bengaluru in Dec 2021
● Singhraj Adhana is a Paralympian and a winner of many medals at national and international events. He won Para Shooting P 1 P 4 Silver Medal 10 m Pistol SH 1 Senior, at National Championship, Feb 2021. He also won a silver medal in the Mixed 50m pistol SH1 and a bronze medal in the Men's P1 10 metre air pistol SH1 at the 2020 Summer Paralympics.
Success Stories:
Devendra Jhajharia:
Silver Medal, 2020 Tokyo Paralympics
Hailing from the Churu District in Rajasthan, Devendra Jhajharia had his left hand amputated after he touched a live electric cable at the age of eight. He made history by winning the gold medal at the 2004 Paralympics in Athens with a throw of 62.15 metres. He won another gold medal at the 2016 Rio Paralympics with a throw of 63.97 metres.
In 2019, OGQ offered support to Devendra and deployed their S&C trainer, Lakshay Batra to prepare him for the Tokyo Paralympics by working with him closely. This was important for two reasons. His age could have affected the level of fitness needed to qualify for the Paralympics and to win. His ideal throwing weight was 79 kgs., but he weighed 86 kgs. in 2019. Devendra was under the continuous guidance and monitoring of Coach Lakshay Batra at the Sports Authority of India centre in Gandhinagar, prior to the Paralympics. He was able to achieve his ideal weight without losing either his health or fitness and was able to throw his personal best of 64.35 metres at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, to win a silver medal.
Krishna Nagar:
Gold Medal, 2020 Tokyo Paralympics
Krishna Nagar hails from Rajasthan and is ranked at world No:2 in para-badminton men’s singles. Aged 23, he suffers from a rare form of dwarfism and became a Paralympian on account of his short stature. His love for sports made him shine at the domestic level, but he needed funding to participate in international tournaments. In 2019, OGQ stepped in to support Krishna’s participation in 5 international tournaments, to help with his world ranking, and he is now ranked world No:2.
OGQ’s support to Krishna during COVID-19 lockdown included a full-fledged team of specialists like a physiotherapist, nutritionist, strength & conditioning trainer, and sparring partner. His training and preparation for the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics could continue unchecked as he was also provided accommodation, and access to a gym & badminton equipment at his training base in Lucknow. Krishna won a gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics. Currently Krishna is the highest earning member in his joint family, which he supports.
It was a moment of great honour and pride for the sponsors too, as Krishna’s win signified the first-ever Olympic gold medal won by an athlete or a para-athlete, with their support. Our alliance with OGQ will continue as, together, we strive to improve the performance of Indian athletes at the Olympics and Paralympics.