Paralympic glory
When javelin throwers Devendra Jhajharia and Sundar Singh Gurjar won a silver and a bronze, respectively, at the Tokyo Paralympics on Monday, they were promptly congratulated by Neeraj Chopra, who recently made history by clinching India’s first-ever Olympic gold in athletics. ‘You are such an inspiration to all of us’ — that’s what the champion javelin thrower humbly said in praise of Devendra, the unheralded winner of Paralympic gold medals in 2004 and 2016. It was a memorable Monday for India as shooter Avani Lekhara, left wheelchair-bound after she suffered spinal cord injuries in a car accident in 2012, became the country’s first woman to win a gold at the Paralympics. Avani’s idol, Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra, was among the first to laud her superb show, besides the Prime Minister and the President. Later in the day, javelin thrower Sumit Antil (F64 category) bagged India’s second gold.
It is heartening that India’s differently abled players are finally getting recognition for their sterling performances at the highest level. Their achievements are all the more remarkable as they have overcome major constraints to excel in the international arena. On Sunday, which happened to be National Sports Day, Bhavinaben Patel (table tennis) and Nishad Kumar (high jump) won silver medals. Nishad, who hails from Himachal Pradesh, was only eight years old when his right hand was severed by a grass-cutting machine on his family’s farm. In the run-up to the Tokyo games, he had contracted Covid-19 earlier this year. It was also a tough journey for Bhavinaben, who was diagnosed with polio when she was just an infant.
India has already won seven medals in the Tokyo Paralympics so far, three more than its previous best haul (four medals at Rio 2016). In the Tokyo Olympic Games that concluded earlier this month, the country’s medal tally (seven) was also its highest ever. These are good tidings for Indian sports and there is a need to maintain the momentum. It’s time the nation as a whole supports and encourages its players through thick and thin, no matter whether they are differently abled or otherwise.
