KTR extends support to Malika Handa, a deaf and dumb International Chess Champion

Despite being speech and hearing impaired, she is first Indian woman to win a gold medal in the International Deaf Chess Championship in 2016, which took place in Armenia.

Hyderabad: IT Minister KT Rama Rao fulfilled his promise made to International Chess Player Malika Handa (from Punjab) and extended Rs. 15 lakh financial assistance to her .

Despite being speech and hearing impaired, she is first Indian woman to win a gold medal in the International Deaf Chess Championship in 2016, which took place in Armenia.

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The Minister had responded to a video of Malika on Twitter and offered to extend support. Malika Handa flew down from Jalandhar to Hyderabad on Monday on the invitation of the Minister.

Please pass on the young champion’s details if you can. I will contribute in my personal capacity https://t.co/iZLaCllw2P

— KTR (@KTRTRS) January 3, 2022

IT Minister KT Rama Rao stated that he called Malika in his personal capacity after hearing about her plight and the unfair treatment she was receiving from the Punjab State Government. Minister handed over a cheque of Rs 15 lakh to Malika and also a laptop that would help her participate in online chess championships.

During the meeting, Minister KT Rama Rao stated that Ms. Malika has brought laurels to the country. “Many congratulations. You have won the world already,” said the Minister while talking to Malika.

“We are proud of what she has achieved till now and she definitely deserves all the credit for the hard work she has put in,” Rama Rao said.

Minister asked for inputs from Malika on what kind of policies can be bought in to support disabled sports persons from Telangana. He asked the officials to study best policy frameworks, which can be adopted to benefit the such sports persons in Telangana State.

With the help of an interpreter Malika interacted with the Minister KTR and said that Chess is not being seen as a mainstream sport by the Government of India yet.

“I am overwhelmed with the warm welcome and support received from the Telangana Govt. My heartfelt thanks to Minister KT Rama Rao for recognising me and supporting me,” said Malika.

Minister KT Rama Rao also appealed to Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Anurag Thakur to help Malika get a Union Government job.

Malika was born in Jalandhar, Punjab. She was not born as a hearing impaired child but lost her hearing and speech when she was one year old.

She began to play chess at the age of 15 and has won the national deaf chess championship six times until now.

She is the only woman from Punjab to have represented the state nine times in national championships. She has won one gold and two silvers in world deaf chess championship and as well as in Asian deaf chess championship.

Malika is now preparing for the World championship, which is scheduled to take place in September 2022 in Poland.

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