Meet two para-athletes who made India proud

Good Morning,

At Tokyo Paralympics this year, India put up its best show yet, winning an unprecedented 19 medals despite the challenges brought on by the pandemic — all because of the hard work of para-athletes.

Among them were Avani Lekhara and Ekta Bhyan who rose above disability to help India post a formidable medals’ haul. 

For Avani, a 19-year-old rifle shooter, training was a massive challenge amid the lockdown as shooting ranges were closed. Despite the difficulties, she became the first woman to win two Paralympic medals by winning gold and silver.

"I went in there, gave my 100 percent with full focus and came first, winning a berth in the Tokyo Paralympics,” she recalled.

In a conversation with HerStory, Ekta, who participated in the club and discus throw events, talked about her experiences at the Paralympics and why advocacy for inclusivity and more women in para-sports matters.

“We also need to break the mental barriers surrounding the disabled. Give them more opportunities,” she added.

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News & Updates

• After getting oversubscribed 326.49 times for its initial public offering (IPO), data analytics services firm Latent View Analytics opened at Rs 530 apiece on the BSE, and at Rs 512.2 on the NSE — much higher than its offer price of Rs 197 per share.

• SoftBank Vision Fund has elevated Sumer Juneja to the role of managing partner. The year 2021 has been the busiest in terms of number of deals in India for the fund, which has deployed a little over $3 billion across Indian startups.

• Direct-to-consumer meat and meat products brand Licious has announced daily vesting of Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOPs) for employees after the mandatory period of one year is over. 

• Myntra, India's biggest fashion marketplace, has forayed into social commerce at scale amid the ecommerce boom in India and the rise of online shopping.

• Retailers Association of India (RAI) on Tuesday urged Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, state governments, and the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council to reconsider the proposed hike in GST rates on textiles and apparel items.

Before you go, stay inspired with… 

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— Akhil Gupta, Founder and CTPO, NoBroker

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