By Gaurav Sharma
New Delhi, Mar 30 (IANS): India's para-badminton player Manasi Joshi, who has won numerous accolades in her career, has urged the government to make prosthetics limbs subsidised and tax-free in the country to encourage more people.
Manasi also reckons that like other countries, prosthetic limbs should be covered by insurance.
"In developed countries, prosthetic limbs are covered by insurance and I feel that it should be the case in India as well, or it should be made subsidised and tax-free," Manasi told IANS.
At the age of 22, Manasi met with an accident involving a truck and lost her left leg.
The Ahmedabad shuttler revealed that prosthetics are very costly, making it difficult to manage finances for equipment and training.
"Prosthetics are extremely expensive and although permanent disability is covered by
insurance, prosthetics are not. The cost ranges anywhere between Rs 20-50 lakhs and have a life of not more than five years," Manasi said.
"It becomes very difficult to manage finances on equipment and training, when one spends all his/her savings on prosthetics. Although there is some assistance from the government towards the para athletes, there is a lot more left to be desired," she added.
Despite their performance and yielding results at international platforms, Manasi feels para-shuttlers still lack the exposure they need.
"Indians are world's best para-shuttlers and are always among the top 10 in various
categories. In spite of this, the awareness in India is minimal. While, internationally, there is a lot that is written about us, in India it is at a bare minimum.
"Although a lot of buzz has been created about us after the success of the able bodied badminton players like Sania Nehwal, P. V. Sindhu, Shrikant Kadambi, a lot still needs to be done to give us the nationwide exposure that we deserve," she said.
Manasi, who is now focused on the Para Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia in October, also thanked Welspun, which is taking care of all her international tournament expenses.
"Welspun has been supporting me since July 2017. Their recognition, encouragement and support has been phenomenal and I thank the Welspun group for this," the shuttler concluded.