Jhajharia, Jadhav, Saroha: India’s Medal Hopes at Rio Paralympics

The Rio Olympics didn’t go as planned for the Indian contingent but the country’s team at the Paralympics is raring to bring laurels.

India, like in the Summer Olympics, have sent their largest ever contingent for the Paralympics.

The country’s 18 athletes include, a Paralympic Games gold medallist Devendra Jhajharia (Javelin Throw) and a gold medallist (high jump) at the IPC Athletics Grand Prix — Mariyappan Thangavelu.

The Quint takes a look at the medal hopes for the Summer Paralympics, which begins on 7 September.

1. Amit Kumar Saroha

Amit Kumar Saroha will be taking part in the club throw event at the Paralympics. The Haryana lad is entering the competition in excellent form.

Saroha won the gold medal at the French Open Athletics Championship in May and also set a Asian record of 26.58m.

The 31-year-old, who has one Para Asian Games gold and two Para Asian Games silvers under his belt, is one of India’s most decorated Para athletes.

Amit, who will be competing in the F51 category, became a quadriplegic, after a car accident he suffered when he was 22.

2. Mariyappan Thangavelu

Mariyappan Thangavelu gave the entire nation hope for a medal after he cleared a distance of 1.78m in the high jump event and won the gold medal at the IPC Grand Prix in July.

Thangavelu believes that he can win a medal at the Paralympics since the silver medal winner at the World Championships jumped a distance of 1.78m.

It is not beyond me. Even a gold is possible.

Mariyappan Thangavelu

The Tamil Nadu lad will compete in the T42 category. When he was five years old, a bus ran over his right leg, leaving his leg stunted.

3. Devendra Jhajharia

India’s most successful Paralympic Games athlete Devendra Jhajharia will be competing in the javelin throw event at the 2016 Paralympic Games. The 35-year-old, who became India’s first individual Paralympic gold medallist at the Athens Games in 2004, couldn’t compete in the next two Paralympics because his category F46 was not included. The F46 includes the athletes with unilateral upper limb impairment.

Jhajharia, along with winning the gold, had also set a world record throw of 62.15m.

The Indian, who booked his berth at the Rio Paralympics after clinching the silver medal at the IPC Athletics World Championships in 2015 said that India will win six medals in the competition.

We got one silver medal in London, but the Rio Paralympics will be memorable for India. I’m telling you right now, we are going to come back with at least six-seven medals.

Devendra Jhajharia

Jhajharia’s left hand was amputated when he was eight or nine years old after getting an electric shock.

4. Suyash Jadhav

Suyash Jadhav is the only Indian swimmer to qualify for the Rio Paralympics. He will be competing in the 50m butterfly event.

Jadhav first came into recognition when he won the silver medal at the IWAS World Games in the 50m butterfly event in Russia last year.

In the Winter Open Polish Championships in Szczecin, the swimmer clinched the gold medal in his favourite event (50m butterfly).

Suyash, who will be competing in the S7 category became a double amputee after getting an electric shock. He was just 11 years old.

5. Ankur Dhama

Ankur Dhama will become the first blind Indian athlete to participate at the Paralympics, when he competes in the 1500m event at Rio.

Dhama had started gradually losing his eye sight when he was five years old, by the time he turned six, the runner was completely blind. No treatment could restore his vision.

The runner, who won the bronze medal at the Para Asian Games in 2014, said that he has given it all for the Paralympics.

Right now, I am running four hours a day to cover almost 30 kms each day as a part of my endurance training for Rio. I am also consuming a lot of fruits and proteins as instructed by my coach. This time, I have given it my all and feel that I have never been fitter before.

Ankur Dhama