Special Olympics gold medalist striving to make ends meet

Ludhiana (Punjab) [India] Dec 27 (ANI): Many a times cases of sportsmen in India facing apathy have come to the fore and the recent victim is double gold medalist in cycling, Rajbir Singh, who won at the 2015 Special Olympics World Games, and is working as a labourer in Ludhiana to make ends meet.

His father, Balbir Singh told ANI, "The Punjab Government is yet to give the prize money of Rs 30 lakhs promised three years ago."

At the 2015 Los Angeles Special Olympics, Rajbir made the country proud by winning two gold medals.

He suffers from a disability, with below-average intellectual and adaptive functioning.

Two years after his win, the family is yet to received the cash prize promised.

The Punjab Government had announced Rs 15 lakh for each of the gold medals he won, while the Central Government promised the family Rs 10 lakh.

The then Punjab chief minister, Parkash Singh Badal, honoured Rajbir and announced an additional prize of Rs one lakh and he was given an additional Rs 10 lakh by the Union Government too.

This humiliating poverty has forced the family to stop Rajbir's training since the family has barely any money for food. (ANI)

This story has not been edited. It has been published as provided by ANI