District Collector Niranjan Nayak on Wednesday felicitated disabled Priyanka Parida (16) of Udayagiri village under Nadiabarei panchayat for bagging a gold medal in the Special Olympics World Winter Games held in South Korea from January 29 to February 5 last.
Notably, Parida, who is studying at class 10 in Central Command ASHA School in UP, is the daughter of Naib Subedar Pramod Kumar Parida and Nirupama Parida. Pramod is working at 11th Gurkha Rifle Regiment at lucknow. Priyanka, eldest among his three daughters, bagged the gold medal for the country in snowboarding event.
A total of 2,200 athletes from 120 countries had participated in 55 events in the Special Olympics World Winter Games.
According to Priyanka’s mother Nirupama, when she gave birth to Priyanka, she was little upset as the girl was born deaf and dumb. Both she and her husband were worried a lot over the baby’s future. But now they are proud parents after the girl brought glory for the country with the success.
According to Pramod, when he was posted at Ambala in Harayana, Priyanka joined in the Asha School and got special interest in snowboarding. later, she got training. She too had got the fourth position in the Special Olympics World Winter Games in 2011.
Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Akhilesh Yadav felicitated my daughter and awarded a cash prize of Rs 1.21 lakh after she bagged gold in snowboarding event. Even, lt Gen Anil Chait, Army Commander, Central Command also felicitated my daughter, Pramod said, adding that Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had congratulated Priyanka on her success in 0March last.