Para Elan Launches at Thyagaraj Sports Complex to Promote Disability Awareness

The Thyagaraj Sports Complex recently hosted the launch of Para Elan, an initiative aimed at enhancing disability awareness among students. With participation from 300 students across various schools, the program combines sports activities with French language learning. Notable para-athletes shared their inspiring stories, emphasizing resilience and inclusion. This initiative seeks to reach over 10,000 students in the coming years, fostering a deeper understanding of disabilities and promoting a more inclusive society. Discover how Para Elan is changing perceptions and encouraging young minds to embrace diversity.

By Narendra Chaudhary Aug 7, 2026, 23:33 IST

A Groundbreaking Initiative for Disability Awareness

The Thyagaraj Sports Complex in New Delhi was the venue for the inaugural event of Para Elan, which saw participation from 300 students representing both government and private schools in Delhi. This initiative aims to enhance understanding of disabilities through immersive experiences.

Launched in April 2026, Para Elan was established following a Memorandum of Understanding signed by Gregor Trumel, Country Director of the French Institute in India (IFI), and Satya Parkash Sangwan, Vice-President of the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI), with the presence of H.E. Thierry Mathou, the French Ambassador to India.

This initiative builds on the legacy of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games and the 2025 World Para Athletics Championships in New Delhi, aiming to engage over 10,000 students across India in the next three years. It combines French language education through IFI's French for All and French for a Better Future programs with para sports and global citizenship education.

The participating students, from Grades 7 to 9, were evenly split between those enrolled in IFI's programs at six Chief Minister Schools and students from four private institutions with established French language curricula.

Designed to encourage meaningful interactions among students from varied educational backgrounds, the initiative brought together communities that typically do not share a common playing field.

Participants engaged in hands-on para-sports activities such as one-legged badminton, blind goalpost, wheelchair table tennis, and wheelchair cricket, allowing them to experience the challenges faced by para-athletes. Additionally, a creative workshop organized with The Junior Age, a leading children's newspaper in India, enabled students to reflect on their experiences and interview para-athletes, with selected works to be published.

The event was further enriched by the presence of notable para-athletes from India, who shared their inspiring journeys and demonstrated the resilience that sports can foster. Among the athletes were Paralympic medallist Sharad Kumar and world record holder Shams Alam, along with others who provided students with firsthand accounts of determination and excellence.

Senior officials from the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, the Department of Education, the Paralympic Committee of India, and the French Embassy attended the event, which also featured a motivational video message from their French counterparts.

Reflecting on the transition from the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding to the practical implementation of Para Elan, Ambassador Thierry Mathou stated, “Para Elan embodies the shared commitment of France and India to foster a more inclusive future through education and sports. By allowing young people to experience adaptive sports firsthand, this initiative emphasizes that inclusion is not just a value to uphold but a practice to embrace.”

Payal Bansal Kanodia, Chairperson of the Paralympic Committee of India, emphasized the transformative power of education and sports in shaping compassionate societies. She noted that Para Elan invites students to rethink the concepts of ability and resilience, merging the universal language of sports with cultural exchange and French language learning.

“Para Elan is fundamentally about shifting mindsets rather than just statistics. It aims to ensure that future generations view inclusion as an instinctive mindset rather than a mere act of accommodation,” she added. The initiative aspires to inspire young participants to respect diversity and recognize that true excellence transcends physical ability, rooted instead in character and spirit.

By integrating adaptive sports and elite athletes into educational settings, Para Elan aims to create lasting awareness and change perceptions about para sports, embedding values of inclusion, resilience, equality, and excellence within the educational framework.