BJP Felicitates Special Olympics Gold Medalist Poonam, Calls for Better Facilities for Special Players in Jharkhand

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders felicitated Poonam Kumari, a young athlete from Jamshedpur who bagged two gold medals in badminton at the Special Olympics, and called on the Jharkhand government to provide better facilities for special players.

JAMSHEDPUR – Poonam Kumari, who won two gold medals for India in badminton at the Special Olympics held in Burlingame from June 17 to 25, was honored by BJP leaders in Jamshedpur.

Poonam clinched gold in both the singles and doubles categories.

The felicitation ceremony took place at her Telco Colony residence on Monday and was attended by former BJP District President Dinesh Kumar, BJYM leader Amarjit Singh Raja, and others.

"Poonam’s achievement is not personal but a matter of pride for the country," said Dinesh Kumar, underlining her incredible talent and achievement.

He further emphasized that the Jharkhand government should honor Special Olympics winners and announce substantial prize money and other facilities akin to other sports.

He asserted that the state is teeming with talented players across various sports disciplines who often miss out on opportunities due to inadequate facilities.

He urged the state sports ministry to address this issue.

Poonam, the daughter of Tata Motors employee Dharam Tiwari, received a shawl, a bunch of flowers, and was greeted with sweets at the event.

The family credited Tata Steel for their support from practice to her journey to Germany to play, saying the sponsorship played a crucial role in her winning the gold medal.

However, they expressed concern over the lack of attention from the state government and the district administration.