<p>Giving instructions to workers fitting air conditioners in his gym, Joginder Saluja, 30, looks every inch an entrepreneur in control of things. <br /><br /></p>.<p>A closer look, however, reveals that the man can walk only with crutches – and you are forced to respect him more.<br /><br />Running the gym for the last nine years, the former winner at Paralympics Powerlifting National Championship is a source of inspiration for others like him who harbour the dream of representing the country in sports. <br /><br />“In my teenage years when I used to go to gym, people would ridicule me about how the disabled should be at home rather than lifting weights in a gym,” Saluja says.<br /><br />“Then I made up my mind that one day I will open a gym where the able- bodied and the disabled all can work out together,” Saluja adds.<br /><br />Even when Saluja was trying to open his gym people discouraged him, saying how the disabled and the normal people could work out under one roof.<br /><br />But he went on to open his gym in the basement of a two-storey house in east Delhi’s Vivek Vihar in 2007.<br /><br />Saluja said he won a gold medal in junior section of ‘strongest man of India’ para powerlifting competition in 2006, and a bronze in the senior version of the same competition held in Jaipur in 2007. “After that I opened my gym,” Saluja remembers.<br />Beaming with confidence after winning several para powerlifting awards, Saluja started his gym where he was the only trainer.<br /><br />Gradually his name spread in the area and people started coming to his gym.<br />In the gym people with disabilities not only come to train along with able-bodied, some of them go on to become trainers themselves.<br /><br />“Today we have 200 members in our gym who are trained by six trainers, out of which three are disabled,” Saluja said.<br /><br />Workout Wonders<br />In the gym named ‘Workout Wonders’, around 35 differently abled people come every day to exercise.<br /><br />Seeing people with disabilities working out with them, the others feel an extra sense of motivation.<br /><br />“Apart from being trained by them, I feel inspired by them. If they can do ir, why can’t we,” says Akash Saxena, a professional dancer and a member of the gym.<br /><br />Apart from running the gym, Saluja is also waging a battle on behalf of the disabled with both the central and Delhi government.<br /><br />His says that if an able-bodied sportsman remains national champion for three consecutive years, he becomes entitled to government jobs under the sports quota. However, for a disabled person no such facility is available, he argues.<br /><br />“Government authorities say that when there is already a quota for us under the disabled category how can we demand a sports quota. But my point is that I became a champion in the powerlifting competition as a sportsperson, not as a disabled man. I am against this discrimination,” Saluja says.<br /><br />“When PM Modi said that we are Divyang, a person with special ability, then why don’t we get our due and respect; why do we only get sympathy,” Saluja asks.<br />DH News Service</p>
<p>Giving instructions to workers fitting air conditioners in his gym, Joginder Saluja, 30, looks every inch an entrepreneur in control of things. <br /><br /></p>.<p>A closer look, however, reveals that the man can walk only with crutches – and you are forced to respect him more.<br /><br />Running the gym for the last nine years, the former winner at Paralympics Powerlifting National Championship is a source of inspiration for others like him who harbour the dream of representing the country in sports. <br /><br />“In my teenage years when I used to go to gym, people would ridicule me about how the disabled should be at home rather than lifting weights in a gym,” Saluja says.<br /><br />“Then I made up my mind that one day I will open a gym where the able- bodied and the disabled all can work out together,” Saluja adds.<br /><br />Even when Saluja was trying to open his gym people discouraged him, saying how the disabled and the normal people could work out under one roof.<br /><br />But he went on to open his gym in the basement of a two-storey house in east Delhi’s Vivek Vihar in 2007.<br /><br />Saluja said he won a gold medal in junior section of ‘strongest man of India’ para powerlifting competition in 2006, and a bronze in the senior version of the same competition held in Jaipur in 2007. “After that I opened my gym,” Saluja remembers.<br />Beaming with confidence after winning several para powerlifting awards, Saluja started his gym where he was the only trainer.<br /><br />Gradually his name spread in the area and people started coming to his gym.<br />In the gym people with disabilities not only come to train along with able-bodied, some of them go on to become trainers themselves.<br /><br />“Today we have 200 members in our gym who are trained by six trainers, out of which three are disabled,” Saluja said.<br /><br />Workout Wonders<br />In the gym named ‘Workout Wonders’, around 35 differently abled people come every day to exercise.<br /><br />Seeing people with disabilities working out with them, the others feel an extra sense of motivation.<br /><br />“Apart from being trained by them, I feel inspired by them. If they can do ir, why can’t we,” says Akash Saxena, a professional dancer and a member of the gym.<br /><br />Apart from running the gym, Saluja is also waging a battle on behalf of the disabled with both the central and Delhi government.<br /><br />His says that if an able-bodied sportsman remains national champion for three consecutive years, he becomes entitled to government jobs under the sports quota. However, for a disabled person no such facility is available, he argues.<br /><br />“Government authorities say that when there is already a quota for us under the disabled category how can we demand a sports quota. But my point is that I became a champion in the powerlifting competition as a sportsperson, not as a disabled man. I am against this discrimination,” Saluja says.<br /><br />“When PM Modi said that we are Divyang, a person with special ability, then why don’t we get our due and respect; why do we only get sympathy,” Saluja asks.<br />DH News Service</p>
