Kapil Parmar became India’s first judoka to win a medal at the Paris Paralympics on Thursday, September 5, after he defeated Brazil's Elieton de Oliveira in the men’s 60kg J1 category. (Full Coverage|More Sports News)
Enroute to his bronze, he beat Venezuela’s Marcos Dennis Blanco in the quarters, before losing to Iran’s Banitaba Khorram Abadi in the semi-final bout.
Here is a short profile on Kapil Parmar, India's first judo medallist at the Paralympics in Paris.
Who is Kapil Parmar?
Kapil Parmar is from a small village named Shivor in Madhya Pradesh, and is the youngest of the four brothers and a sister.
His middle brother, who also is into judo, often trains with him. Parmar’s father is a taxi driver, while his sister runs a primary school.
Kapil’s life took an altering change after an accident when he was playing in the fields in his village.
He was found unconscious after he accidentally touched a water pump, which resulted in a severe electric shock.
He remained in coma for the next six-months in Bhopal. Following his recovery, doctors advised Kapil to gain weight.
It was during this period that he discovered blind judo through the encouragement of his mentor and coaches, Bhagwan Das and Manoj, who motivated him to pursue the sport competitively.
Kapil Parmar’s Achievements
- Asian Para Games 2022 (2023) – Silver Medal
- Commonwealth Championships (2019)- Gold Medal
- IBSA Judo Grand Prix Antalya (2024) – Gold Medal
- IBSA Judo Grand Prix Tbilisi (2024) – Gold Medal
- IBSA Judo Grand Prix Alexandria (2023) - Gold Medal
- IBSA World Games (2023) – Bronze Medal
Key Government Interventions
- 7 Foreign Exposures in Kazakhstan, Georgia, Japan, Germany, Turkey, China
- Financial Assistance for Training & Competition
- Training camp in Japan for 14 days'
- Out of Pocket Allowance under TOPS
Kapil Parmar's judo bronze helped India's win it's 25th medal at the ongoing Paris Paralympics.