It was 1968 when India made history as it made its bow in the Summer Paralympics. Since then, Para athletes have consistently brought laurels for the nation. Even more importantly, they have inspired millions of differently-abled people to find purpose and joy in life. In all, the country has won 31 medals in Paralympics.
Here are 5 Para athletes who have stood tall at the world level.
Murlikant Petkar
At Heidelberg 1972, war hero Petkar created history by becoming the first Indian to win a Paralympic gold medal.His event was 50m freestyle swimming. Petkar was an army man, who took bullets during the 1965 war against Pakistan. In fact, one bullet is still lodged in his spine. Displaying exemplary spirit, he put his past behind him and participated in various sports. In the 1968 Paralympicshe reached the finals of the javelin throw and slalom racing event. The Indian government awarded Petkar the Padma Shri in 2018 for his heroism.
Deepa Malik
In 1999, just 29 years old, Malik was diagnosed with a spinal tumour. It led to her becoming paralysed from waist down. Despite such a huge blow in the prime of her life, she did not back down and took up Para sports. In Rio 2016, she became the first Indian female Paralympics medallist, when she won a silver medal in shot put. Malik also won a gold in the javelin event at the Para athletic Grand Prix in 2018. She currently is the president of the Indian Paralympic Association.
Bhavina Patel
Another para athlete who battled hardships along the way is none other than Gujarat's very own, Bhavina Patel. At the age of one, Patel was diagnosed with polio. It left her wheelchair bound. When her father enrolled her at Ahmedabad's Blind People's Association for an ITI course, little did he know that she would instead develop a serious fondness for table tennis instead. Patel's biggest achievement remains her gold medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Para Games. And not far behind is a silver at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics.
Joginder Singh Bedi
India's Joginder Singh Bedi was the star at the 1984 Paralympics, where he competed in shot put, discus throw and javelin throw. He participated in the L6 category wherein he won three medals - two bronze and one silver. It made Bedi the only Indian Paralympian to win the most medals (three).
Amit Kumar Saroha
Another name that has shone on the big stage for India is Amit Kumar Saroha. At the age of 22, Saroha suffered a horrific car accident causing him to become a quadriplegic due to compression of the spinal cord. Despite the adversity, he did not lose hope and worked his way up. He is now a para athlete in Athletics – Club and Discus Throw (F-51) category. He won medals at the IPC Athletics World Champions (2015, 2017), winning silver in the club throw event in the F-51 category. He has also won a gold medal in the 2014 Asian Para Games and competed at the Rio Paralympics in 2016. He also won a Gold Medal at the 2018 Asian Para Games, Jakarta in the Club Throw event.
