Are there different rules in Paralympic Games? How is it decided who will play which game?

The battle of Paralympic Games is about to begin. This time India is hopeful that many of its Paralympic athletes will return home with medals. Actually, this time there are many players who are currently in the top-5 in the world rankings. You must have seen that in the Paralympics many players are seen playing on wheelchairs and many are seen playing with a blindfold on their eyes.

But, there are many questions in people’s minds about the Paralympic Games, whose answers people want to know. Like – can any disabled player participate in any games in the Paralympic Games? Why are F-46, F-64 etc. written in front of the players’ names? Are the rules of the Paralympics different from the Olympic Games? So let’s know the answers to these questions…

Who is considered a disabled person?

First of all, let us tell you which players can participate in Paralympics? Actually, only disabled players participate in Paralympics. Let us tell you that according to the rules of Paralympic Games, 10 types of impairments have been included in the disability category, which includes muscle weakness, loss of any limb, difference in the length of both legs, stiffness in muscles, lack of body control, difficulty in seeing, etc. If a player has any one of these impairments, then he can be included in Paralympics.

What is the meaning of these numbers in front of the name?

You must have noticed that a code is written in front of the name of every player, like Sandeep Chaudhary (F-64, Javelin Throw). This means that there are many categories in Paralympic Games and the number of the player is written in which category. For example, if there are different types of disabled people in a game, then to keep their competition equal, categories are kept in a game on the basis of disability. For example, in javelin throw, some people use wheel chairs, while some people throw in a normal way. In such a situation, their categories are different.

The games which are played standing up, their category starts with S and they are placed in the category on the basis of their disability. The higher the number, the more disabled the person is. These numbers tell about their disability. For example, if L is written after S, it means there is a problem in the lower part of the body (lower limb) and if U is written, it means there is a problem in the upper part.

Can any disabled person play any game?

No. Some disabled categories have been decided for each game and only those categories can participate in that game. For example, wheelchairs are not allowed in some games, so players dependent on wheelchairs cannot participate in it. Some categories are allowed to enter each game, in which only disabled people can participate.

There are some games in which all 10 types of disabled people are allowed to participate. Once a player is eligible, he can participate in the game, but entry in Paralympic Games is based on each country. Let us tell you that there are not many changes in the basic rules of the game. There are many different rules for Paralympic athletes, such as athletes cannot use any accessories in swimming.