CHAPTER 6 CONCLUSION

CHAPTER 6. CONCLUSION

The perception of ‘Sport’ and what it constitutes has been continually debated for decades with many definitions and concepts emerging over the years. The Council of Europe’s European Sports Charter defines sports as “all forms of physical activity, which, through casual or organized participation, aim at expressing or improving physical fitness and mental well-being, forming social relationships or obtaining results in competition at all levels”. However, despite of the endless list of advantages that this sport poses, there is a section of society that has been deprived of savoring the advantages of sports and that is the people with disability.

About 15% of the global population share is constituted by disabled people. However, despite several policies and schemes being implemented for their welfare, a large share of this population continues to be deprived of the benefits of sports and remains physically inactive. The Indian government has also developed various schemes and policies for the development of the disabled, but the constant lack of proper sports facilities and trained coaches has affected the country’s participation in the Paralympics. Besides lack of awareness, the absence of a proper dedicated sports complex for disabled athletes forms the core reason for the slow progress of India in the Paralympics.

The case studies done during the entire course of this research have helped to analyze several positive and negative aspects that play a major role in the development of sports facilities for disabled athletes. The striking characteristics of the dedicated sports complex in Tehran have been studied in detail and further compared with the JLN sports complex in India. Analysis drawn from the case studies and from the background study has eventually led to the formulation of several different proposals and interventions that can help in the development of a sports facility for disabled sports enthusiasts.

Thus with a confirmed resolution on the need for a dedicated sports training center in India for disabled athletes, this research highlights the various features that should be inculcated within the design in order to ensure efficient and hassle-free movement of the users. With the provision of such a sports training center, it is expected that the present scenario of the disabled athletes will be improved and they will get a platform to polish their true potential. A dedicated training center will not only help in the country’s progress at the Paralympics but will also eventually contribute to the overall upliftment of the disabled section of society.