Charanjit Singh Teja Tribune News Service Amritsar January 2 Braving all odds a city resident Veena Arora (44) won a gold medal for India in para-taekwondo event at Canada Open-2019 Games and put Amritsar on the global map. She lost her right hand due to negligence on the part of doctors at the age of 25. In 2000 her right hand had to be amputated as she had developed gangrene due to wrong prescription. Ironically soon after the horrifying incident her husband left her and their three-old-year son. But she didnt lose hope. She moved to her parents home and started doing all household chores with left hand. In 2010 Veena met a person at New Delhi who inspired her to try para sports. “It was not easy for me to participate in sports. It took me two years to make a decision. Finally I have started training for para-sports. Initially I started with shot put and later got training in taekwondo. I have participated in several international events and won several medals. The journey is still on” she added. In 2013 Veena bagged the gold medal in shot put in the Delhi State Paralympic Tournament followed by gold and silver medals in shot put and discus throw at the 14th National Senior Athletics Championship. In 2014 she represented India in the eighth Grand Prix in Tunisia and qualified for the Asian Games. In 2016 she got silver medals in javelin and discus throw in the 16th National Para Athletic Championship. Thereafter she got training in taekwondo and won a bronze in Para Taekwondo Asian Championship in Philippines. She represented India in the World Para taekwondo Championship in London in 2017. She clinched bronze in the Short Put in Portugal. In 2018 she won a bronze medal in Kathmandu International Championship in Nepal and another bronze in South Korea. In 2019 she won the gold medal for India in the para-taekwondo event at Canada Open 2019 Games. She represented the country in Turkey and won bronze medal in the Para Gold cost championship in Australia. She also won the Presidents Cup Asian region in Iran in 2019. Same year she received the Maharaja Ranjit Singh State Award of Punjab government for her achievements. “I dont face any issue while doing my business household chores as I take it as a challenge. However the government is insensitive for the physically challenged people. We staged a demonstration on International Handicap Day for financial assistance for the physically challenged persons” said Arora. She is now preparing for the international events scheduled to organise in 2021. She would participate in Para Olympics this year.

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