HYDERABAD: Telangana IT and Industries Minister on Monday, came forward to help a Punjab deaf and dumb chess champion in his personal capacity. Jalandhar-based deaf and dumb chess player, Malika Handa, the first Indian ever to win an International Deaf and Dumb Chess Championship gold medal, apart from winning multiple gold medals in national championships, tweeted her plight about the Punjab government failing to give her job and a cash reward because they don't have a policy for deaf sports.

In one of the tweets from September, Handa wrote, "I am hurt and feel like crying. I met the Sports Ministry director today and he said that the Punjab government cannot give job and cash awards to deaf sportspersons. What shall I do now? My future is ruined."

This was shared by Anand Ranganathan consulting editor & columnist at the Swarajya, who in his tweet said that the Punjab govt was denying cash awards due to Malika Handa because it doesn’t have a policy for deaf sports. This is where crowd funding could really help. Can we please do something? I’ll like to be a donor.

The rattle of those gold medals…

Punjab govt is apparently denying cash awards due to @MalikaHanda because it doesn’t have a policy for deaf sports.

This is where crowd funding could really help. Can we please do something? I’ll like to be a donor. pic.twitter.com/ecHjH6HfaF
— Anand Ranganathan (@ARanganathan72) January 2, 2022

The IT Minister who is very active on social media and lending a helping hand either through his personal capacity or through government funding was quick to respond and said that he would contribute in his personal capacity.

Please pass on the young champion’s details if you can. I will contribute in my personal capacity https://t.co/iZLaCllw2P
— KTR (@KTRTRS) January 3, 2022

Bharath Biotech co-founder Suchithra Ella and several others also pitched in to offer aid to the chess champion Malika Handa.

In furtherance to this issue, the IT Minister in response to a tweet by Padma Shri Award winner and social activist from Hyderabad, Sunitha Krishnan, requested the Telangana Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs - V Srinivas Goud to look into the issue of framing a policy for the differently-abled persons in the State of Telangana.

Request Hon’ble sports Minister @VSrinivasGoud Garu to kindly come up with a policy for differently abled champions https://t.co/F6DVUwSPsF
— KTR (@KTRTRS) January 3, 2022

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