Shafaqna India: On Tuesday, Indian athletes excelled at the Paralympic Games, winning five medals in track and field events. Sharad Kumar and Mariyappan Thangavelu secured silver and bronze respectively in the men’s high jump T63, while Ajeet Singh and Sundar Singh Gurjar took silver and bronze in the javelin throw F46. Earlier, Deepthi Jeevanji earned a bronze medal in the women’s 400m T20.
Kumar cleared 1.88 meters and Thangavelu 1.85 meters, with Frech Ezra from the USA taking the gold. Kumar’s 1.88m performance set a Paralympic record in the T42 category, surpassing Thangavelu’s previous record. In the Tokyo Paralympics, Kumar had won bronze and Thangavelu silver, a reversal of their current standings.
In the javelin throw F46, Ajeet Singh outperformed world record holder Sundar Singh Gurjar with a throw of 65.62 meters, while Guillermo Gonzalez Varona of Cuba won gold with 66.16 meters. Gurjar, who won bronze in Tokyo, achieved the same result here.
Deepthi Jeevanji, the world champion, won bronze in the women’s 400m T20 with a time of 55.82 seconds, falling short of her best. Ukrainian Yuliia Shuliar (55.16 seconds) and Turkish Aysel Onder (55.23 seconds) claimed the gold and silver. Deepthi had previously set a world record of 55.07 seconds at the World Para-Athletics Championships in May, but Onder broke that record with a time of 54.96 seconds during the heats.
Kumar, from Muzaffarpur, Bihar, developed paralysis in his left leg after receiving a faulty polio vaccine at age two. He holds a Master’s degree in International Relations from Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi. He began high jumping in class 7 and trained in Ukraine from 2017.
Thangavelu, from Salem, Tamil Nadu, was raised by his mother after a bus accident at age five left him with a permanent disability in his right leg. He supported his family by working various jobs before taking up sports.
Deepthi, from Kalleda village in Telangana, overcame societal stigma and criticism about her intellectual disability to become the second Indian to win a track medal at the Paralympics, following Preethi Pal. Preethi made history by winning two medals in track and field events: a bronze in the 200m T35 and another in the 100m T35.
Deepthi’s parents faced village taunts about her disability, with locals doubting her future prospects. Despite this, Deepthi has made significant strides, proving her critics wrong.