Gurugram: Newly-elected Paralympic Committee of India’s (PCI) president Deepa Malik is keen to grab the opportunity to serve her fraternity with both hands even though its nonrecognition by the sports ministry.

Malik is confident that the ministry will soon revoke the suspension imposed on it last year as a “lot of time has already been lost” and athletes have suffered because of it.

The sports ministry de-recognized the PCI in September 2019 citing infringement of the National Sports Code after it sacked then-president Rao Inderjit Singh. Malik said she hopes that PCI would regain recognition after completion of pending paperwork.

The Rio 2016 silver medallist said she is eagerly awaiting the commencement of the three-day 19th National Para Athletics Championships in Mysuru from March 26.

“My foremost priority is to get as much athlete as possible because due to the disruption of court case and suspension we have lost a very important time in a very crucial year of qualification for 2020 Paralympics. But we are doing our best,” Deepa Malik told Sports Lounge.

The Padma Shri and Arjuna awardee spoke on the sidelines of the annual Shri Khel and Shri Explorer event hosted by The Shriram Millennium School in Gurugram on Tuesday.

She added, “Unfortunately, the coronavirus is set in and a lot of international competitions are getting cancelled, so my focus is to make the forthcoming Nationals in Mysuru to become an international qualifier event.”

India has already booked 13 2020 Tokyo Olympics berths at the Dubai 2019 World Para Athletics Championships last November. Thangavelu Mariyappan, Sandeep Chaudhary and Sundar Singh Gurjar are among those who confirmed participation.

Malik wants to increase India’s entry count into the Tokyo Games further. “I am in conversation with the IPC to send in their classifiers and observers so that we can use this opportunity for more and more athletes to qualify for 2020 Paralympics,” she said.

The Khel Ratna awardee is focussed to make a difference as the PCI boss. “Right now my major focus is my new role of the president of the Paralympic Committee of India. It’s my moral duty to stay focussed to that duty for now.

“I’m also been appointed as the member in the All India Sports Council, so I am enjoying the new portfolio because it is giving me an opportunity to serve the fraternity which has given me so much.”

Malik is committed towards the growth of sports and athletes in India as she is intended to organise junior national championships in October.

“My main focus will be ensuring the paper work done at the right time so that no delay hinders the participation of athletes at any level and also grow sports for junior level, I have very pure intentions of organising the junior national championships in the month of October,” she said.

One of the most decorated para-athlete of India advised the young athletes to pursue their dreams by following the sport they love and give it their best to achieve the success.

“Please follow your heart. If you love sports give it your best, give it your heart, and give it your soul. Work hard there is no shortcut to success. If a woman in her 40s could continue to win the medals like Asian medal, World championship medal, Paralympic medal so I think the world is under your feet,” she concluded.