New Delhi, Dec 13 : The upcoming first-ever Differently Abled Sports Awards 2022-23, has been hailed by Paul Fitzgerald, Head of World Para Athletics, as a step in the right direction. On a visit to the national capital, Fitzgerald also announced the going live of the online voting process for the Awards, a first in the country exclusively for Differently Abled athletes. Also present on the occasion were Rupinder Singh, Vice Chairman-Radiant Differently Abled Sports Awards and Senior Sports Advisor and Ms. Raadhika Khetarpal, President, Radiant Differently Abled Sports Awards, among others. In a press briefing which followed the launch of voting Fitzgerald said, 'We in the para sports movement are grateful to Prime Minister Modi for bringing about a paradigm shift in perception of Differently Abled persons in India by the introduction of the word Divyang in popular parlance. Such visionary leadership is what is also making India today, a rising power in the global paralympic movement. "Initiatives such as the Radiant Differently Abled Sports Awards is yet another step in that direction. Recognition always provides athletes with the required inspiration to achieve more and also brings in new talent to the sport and I am confident that the Radiant Awards will also achieve that purpose. I congratulate Aushim, Rupinder, Raadhika and everyone involved for the excellent initiative and wish them all the very best." The Radiant Differently Abled Sports Awards function is scheduled for December 22-23, 2023 in Delhi, and will see around 110 leading differently abled athletes of the country along with 20 national paralympic federations in attendance. The first day will have a sports conclave while the day two will host the Awards function. A total of 250 nominations have been received for the 18-award categories, which includes 12 awards for players and six for the support ecosystem and staff. An eminent panel of Advisors consisting of hockey legend Ajit Pal Singh, former India international hockey player Ashok Dhyanchand, Dr. Vece Paes, former track and field star Ashwini Nachappa, former India tennis player Rohit Rajpal and veteran sports journalist Vijay Lokpally among others, will adjudicate the Awards. "It has been a humongous effort and team work that has gone behind the organizing of these awards and we are proud that finally everything is coming together. It was an idea whose time had come. Our Differently Abled champions have been raising India's standing across the world with their super-human efforts in the field of sports in particular, and it is our humble effort to recognise them and let them know how much they mean to us," said Rupinder. /IANS