Meet Harjeet Singh, the 22-year-old footballer from Faridkot, Punjab, who won gold for India at the 2023 Special Olympics in Berlin.
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00:00This is Harjeet Singh, a Special Olympics gold medalist in football from Fareedkhod,
00:10Punjab, now fixing punctures to survive. The 22-year-old represented India at the
00:23Special Olympics in Berlin 2023 where his team won gold. Special Olympics is a global movement
00:29for athletes with intellectual disabilities including cognitive delays and developmental disabilities.
00:34For Harjeet Singh, the road to Berlin wasn't easy. In 2022, he represented Punjab at Special Olympics
00:40India in Gujarat before going on to train at national camps in Jharkhand and Noida.
00:45Harjeet's father said the government had promised 75 lakh rupees and a job if the team won.
00:55But despite winning gold and facing financial hardship,
00:58the family continues to wait for the promised 75 lakh rupees and a job,
01:02surviving on meagre earnings from their puncture shop.
01:05Harjeet still trains for football at a local government school,
01:08managing time between morning and evening shifts at the puncture shop.
01:19Despite India sending 193 athletes to the 2023 Special Olympics,
01:24post-victory support remains inconsistent as seen in Harjeet Singh's case.