In what could be seen as one of India’s finest moments at the ongoing Paralympics events in Rio, India woke up to jubilations on Saturday morning with Mariyappan Thangavelu and Varun Singh Bhati winning a gold and bronze respectively in the high jump event.
Thangavelu made history at the games by becoming the first Indian higher jumper to win the top prize and helping India rise in the top 30 slot of countries in medal tally. Bhati meanwhile jumped his personal best of 1.86 meters to finish with the bronze. India’s other medal hopeful Sharad Kumar finished 6that the event. Despite being ahead for some time USA’s Sam Grewe won the silver. The sports ministry had earlier announced that gold medalists at the event would be awarded Rs 75 lakhs, silver medalists Rs 50 lakhs and bronze winners have been promised Rs 30 lakhs.
Mariyappan’s journey though is nothing short of a tragic story meeting with a fairy tale conclusion to all efforts put in not just by the athlete but his mother and coach as well. He was only 5 when an accident left him with a crushed knee and ending his dream of playing professional volleyball for the country. Abandoned by the father, his mother struggled with finances by working as a domestic maid as well as a vegetable seller in order to support her son’s fondness for sports.
Post his gold win at the prestigious games, his family living in Periyavadagamatti village in Salem, Tamil Nadu are overjoyed by his success and his mother Saroja, stated to local media that she now feels there is a sense of achievement in the family and hopefully her son’s victory will inspire others to take keen interest in sports and help youngsters with physical handicap to participate in sports.
The gold medal might be new to the young champion but winning isn’t; he won his first silver medal at the age of 14 while competing with able bodied athletes. His present coach, Satyanarayan spotted potential in the youngster at the National Para Athletics Championship when he was 18 in 2013. By 2015 and post intense workouts he was adjudged world no 1 in his first year at the senior level competitions. He has also won a gold medal at the IPC Tunisian Grand Prix with his personal best jump of 1.78 meters which also became his qualifying jump to the present Paralympics games.
The Tamil Nadu government has announced a prize of Rs 2 crores to the gold medalists who also won accolades from the Prime minister, Sports ministers Vijay Goel and the chief minister Jayalalittha herself.
