Incredible success

INDIA had won only 12 medals overall in the Paralympics prior to the just-concluded Tokyo games. In this edition alone, the country’s para athletes went on to win a record 19 medals, including five gold, as India finished 24th on the medal table — its all-time-best position. The phenomenal numbers, however, tell only half the story. Every medallist’s performance exemplified the triumph of the human spirit against formidable odds. The gritty players did not let disability become an impediment to the pursuit of their dreams. A car accident in 2012 left Avani Lekhara wheelchair-bound. Her determination to rise from the ashes like the proverbial phoenix propelled her to excel in shooting. The 19-year-old clinched a gold medal in Tokyo, becoming the first Indian woman ever to achieve this feat in the Paralympics, and followed it with a bronze. IAS officer Suhas Yathiraj, currently posted as District Magistrate in Noida, won a silver in badminton, making light of a lower-limb impairment.

Devendra Jhajharia was a relatively obscure javelin thrower till a month ago. It was only after Neeraj Chopra won a historic gold in the Tokyo Olympics that most people got to know about Jhajharia, who had bagged gold medals in the 2004 and 2016 Paralympics. He was tipped to win the yellow metal this time too, but ended up with a silver. The javelin throw event proved to be a happy hunting ground for India, with Sumit Antil (gold) and Sundar Singh Gurjar (bronze) making their presence felt in separate categories. Sumit shattered his own world record five times en route to victory, drawing effusive praise from Neeraj.

India’s para athletes have for long remained in the shadow of their able-bodied counterparts. But the winds of change seem to have started blowing, thanks to their superb show in Tokyo. The Paralympics may never match the Olympic Games in terms of popularity, but the growing interest in this sporting spectacle involving the differently abled is an encouraging sign. With the spotlight now on sports in India, our para athletes deserve a level playing field where they are treated on a par with other players.