Specially Abled Chess Player Malika Handa Slams Punjab Govt For Failed Reward Promise

Chess player Malika Handa slams Punjab Govt: Malika Handa, a specially-abled chess player from Punjab took to social media to slam the state government for "fooling her" and not keeping up the promises made by giving her cash prize and job. Handa, who has the record of winning six medals in the world and Asian championship, posted the video after meeting the Sports Minister of Punjab on December 31,2021.

The chess player held her medals and displayed trophies she won, in the background while she made the video. Handa has claimed that she was offered cash award and job offer on winning the international championship in chess by the previous Punjab government. However, on not receiving g the promised cash reward, she met the state sports minister of Punjab Pargat Singh, who allegedly denied the compensation offer that was previously offered.

Handa says in the video that she was informed that the state government of Punjab cannot give her the cash reward or job as there was no policy for deaf sports.

Suggested Reading: Atrangi Re: 7 Things It Gets Wrong About Mental Health

Handa said that her five years got wasted as the current government says "it cannot do" anything about the promises made to her by the earlier government. The bureaucratic tussle has naturally left the chess player demoralised.

Malika Handa was granted a cash reword for her performance by ex sports minister of Punjab, Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi. However, the ceremony during which she was to be felicitated with the reward got cancelled due to the COVID situation in the state.

Harsimrat Kaur Badal, leader from Shiromani Akali Dal and Member of Parliament from Bathinda constituency of Punjab, lent her support to Handa and lashed out at the Punjab government for not fulfilling their promise towards the chess champion.

Handa has been speaking of the insensitivity meted to her by the state government since September 2021, when she tweeted: "I am very feeling Hurt and crying Today I meet to Director ministry sports Punjab. He said Punjab can not give job and cash award accept to (Deaf sports). What shall I do now all my future ruined??? "

About Malika Handa:

The Jalandhar born Malika Handa, is a hearing-impaired chess player from Punjab state of India, who made her mark after becoming the first woman in India to win a gold medal in the International Deaf Chess Championship.  Since 2012, she has also won the National Chess Champions of the Deaf seven times. Handa is also the only woman from Punjab to have represented the state nine times in the national championship for chess.