• Devendra Jhajharia and Sundar Singh Gurjar secured a silver and bronze, respectively, in the men’s F46 javelin throw event at Tokyo Paralympics 2020
• The athletes have been nurtured and enabled by Project Divyang, an initiative by the Cairn to create an enabling environment for specially-abled athletes
• Devendra Jhajharia created history, winning the third Paralympic medal for India, including 2 gold medals in the past

3 September 2021 Cairn Oil & Gas, India’s largest private oil and gas exploration and production company, extends heartiest congratulations to Devendra Jhajharia and Sunder Singh Gurjar – winners of the silver and bronze medals, respectively, in the F46 javelin throw event at Tokyo Paralympics 2020. Nurtured and enabled by Project Divyang – a unique initiative by the oil and gas company – these athletes have overcome a slew of challenges to emerge as champions in their own right.

Congratulating the winners, Annanya Agarwal, President, Vedanta Sports said, “We are extremely delighted with the achievements of our para-athletes Devendra Jhajharia and Sundar Singh Gurjar at the Tokyo Paralympics, and proud to have been a part of their journey. Credit to their hard work and persistence!”

“At Vedanta, this motivates us further to build a platform for such amazing talents and enable them to give wings to their dreams,” he added.

Celebrating the victorious athletes, Prachur Sah, Deputy CEO of Cairn Oil & Gas, said, “We extend our heartiest congratulations to Devendra Jhajharia and Sundar Singh for their victories in the Tokyo Paralympics 2020. Under Project Divyang, we have endeavored to adopt a forward-looking vision and provide support to para-athletes through specialized training along with supervision of diet, physiotherapy, and injury management. Moving forward, we are hopeful that Project Divyang will enable many more athletes and create a conducive sporting environment while striving for social equality in India.”

Project Divyang is a special programme conducted by Cairn Oil & Gas. It supports para-athletes through dedicated training and coaching, diet and nutrition, and physiotherapy and injury management. The goal is to induce equality, transform attitudes and amplify inclusion by undoing existing social barriers and discrimination towards specially-abled people. Seven years since its initiation, the programme is reaping rich dividends as two beneficiary athletes enabled by it have emerged as medal winners in Tokyo.

Devendra Jhajharia, already India’s greatest Paralympian at 40 years of age, has previously won gold medals at Athens 2004 and Rio 2016. In Tokyo, he achieved a new personal best throw of 64.35 m, bagging the silver. 25-year-old Sundar Singh Gurjar also won a bronze in the same event with a best effort of 64.01m.

Cairn Oil & Gas has been supporting these promising para-athletes from Rajasthan since February 2017 through the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) – the only recognized authority working for the promotion and development of para sports in the country. Moving ahead, the company remains committed to its initiatives in improving social capital and supporting those at the margins of society.
 

About Cairn Oil & Gas, Vedanta Ltd.

Cairn Oil & Gas, Vedanta Ltd., is the largest private oil and gas exploration and production company in India, accounting for more than a quarter of India’s domestic crude oil production. It has a world-class resource base, with a current interest in 58 blocks in India, including the 41 blocks under the Open Acreage Licensing Policy (OALP) Round I auction, five blocks each under Round II and Round III, and two awarded under the Discovered Small Fields (DSF) Round-II. In 2004, Cairn made the largest onshore discovery in more than two decades in India at Mangala, Rajasthan. In its operations of 20 years, Cairn has opened four frontier basins with numerous discoveries, 38 in Rajasthan alone.

Vedanta Limited, a subsidiary of Vedanta Resources Limited, is one of the world’s leading Oil & Gas and Metals company with significant operations in Oil & Gas, Zinc, Lead, Silver, Copper, Iron Ore, Steel, and Aluminium & Power across India, South Africa, Namibia, and Australia. For two decades, Vedanta has been contributing significantly to nation building. Governance and sustainable development are at the core of Vedanta’s strategy, with a strong focus on health, safety, and environment. Giving back is in the DNA of Vedanta, which is focused on enhancing the lives of local communities. Under the aegis of Vedanta Cares, the flagship social impact program, Nand Ghars have been set up as model anganwadis focused on eradicating child malnutrition, providing education, healthcare, and empowering women with skill development. The company has been featured in Dow Jones Sustainability Index, and was conferred CII-ITC Sustainability Award, the FICCI CSR Award, Dun & Bradstreet Awards in Metals & Mining, and certified as a Great Place to Work. Vedanta Limited is listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange in India and has ADRs listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

For more information, please visit www.vedantalimited.com/www.cairnindia.com