Elated by the record-breaking recommendations of para-athletes for this year’s National Sports Awards, Deepa Malik, the president of Paralympic Committee of India (PCI), feels that her dreams are being realised and it’s heartening to see para-athletes get equal respect and appreciation.

The announcement of the national sports awards was delayed in order to consider the performances of para-athletes at the Tokyo Paralympics, held from August 24 to September 5 and India had phenomenal performances at the mega-event. India’s paralympians finished their campaign in Tokyo with an unprecedented 19 medals, including five gold, and signed off 24th in the overall tally —the highest ever.