In the upcoming Tokyo Paralympics, Devendra Jhajharia will be eying third gold medal after Neeraj Chopra did the country proud and clinched a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics. The Tokyo Olympics recently concluded and made way to the Paralympics – the international athletics competition which hosts sportspersons with various disabilities.
Details
After more than a decade worth of waiting (13 years to be precise), India’s wait for the individual Olympic gold finally came to an end. Neeraj Chopra, a young army man from Haryana, won the first ever gold medal in javelin throw for India and sent a wave of ecstasy across the country.
Chopra is currently the second ever Indian Olympian to have won a gold medal in an individual competition. He and shooter Abhinav Bindra are now the only two members of the elite club, with Bindra’s gold coming in 2008.
Also Read: Full List of Cash Awards and Rewards Given to All Indian Tokyo Olympics Medal Winners
Devendra Jhajhariya’s Incredible Achievements
Unbeknownst to many though, Chopra isn’t the only javelin thrower to have scripted history by winning a shiny gold for a medal hungry India in an Olympic event.
Back in 2016, Devendra Jhajharia, the 40-year-old Paralympian threw a throw so monstrous, it almost touched the sun and the entire nation basked in the glory of a shiny gold medal at the Rio Paralympics.
Such a brilliant throw it was. – it also broke the world record of the most distance (62.15m). Interestingly enough, Jhajharia was the one to break his own record.
He is India's🇮🇳 most successful #Paralympics athlete and he is going for his third #gold medal at #Tokyo2020
Discover the story of javelin thrower Devendra Jhajharia 👇 #UnitedByEmotion
— #Tokyo2020 (@Tokyo2020) August 12, 2021
Winning World Championship Gold, Asian Games Silver
Apart from being the only Indian Paralympian to have won two gold medals (Athens 2004, Rio 2016), he also won a gold medal at the 2002 FESPIC Games, South Korea and then in 2013 at the IPC Athletics World Championships.
As if this was not enough, he also won a gold medal (India’s first) at the World Championships in 2013. With a fair liking for the silver medal too, he has also won a silver medal at the 2014 Asian Games.
Also Read: Disappointment for Mirabai Chanu as ‘Weightlifting can lose Olympic Status’ till Olympics 2024
The Accident, The Amputation, The Ambition
Beneath the million-dollar smile and the glint of determination in eyes, lives a man whose life was shaken and stirred by personal and financial losses. When he was just 8 years old, he suffered an accident which led to him being amputated.
Speaking to the Hindu in an interview, Jhajharia said-
“I was climbing a tree in my village and accidentally touched a live cable, which was apparently an 11,000-volt cable. So severe was the accident that (my left hand) had to be amputated right away — nobody was sure whether I would be able to recover from it.”
“To Succeed, You Have to Be a Champion”
Although he faced ridicule and teasing in his village, Jhajharia had the support of his family. He soon realized that to live a life worth living, he had to succeed. Here’s what he told the Hindu-
“I was striving to not make myself appear weak to the world. And the only way to achieve it was to succeed, to be a champion. To be a champion, you had to be a sportsman, so I started focusing more on the sport. In my 10th standard, I started practicing every day and soon became district champion in the Open category. I kept on winning medals in inter-college, district, and State events.”
It was not just his physical disability that made him stronger, but also a series of financial constraints. But the future Paralympian knew no such thing as quitting. He realized his love for javelin throwing and made his first javelin by a locally sourced bamboo.
Also Read: WFI Suspends Wrestler Vinesh Phogat over ‘Acts of Indiscipline’ During Tokyo Olympics
“Will Win a Gold Medal in Tokyo Too”: Devendra Eyes at Scripting History
The Tokyo Paralympics will kick off on September 5, 2021 and all eyes would be on Jhajharia to clinch the third gold medal. Speaking to Paralympics.org, Jhajharia gave an insight about his preparation and said-
“I am training hard and following a well-thought-out programme set by my personal coach Sunil Tanwar. I am confident that just like in Athens and Rio, I will win a gold medal in Tokyo too.”
We send him all the power and wish him the best!
