Devendra Jhajharia First Indian Paralympian to win two gold medals at the Paralympics

In a small village in Rajasthan’s Churu district, a nine-year-old boy would practice javelin throw all alone, every day for hours on end. Taunts and disparaging remarks by class-mates and neighbours about being an amputee fueled in him the determination to succeed as an athlete.
Fourteen years later, as he stood on the podium at the 2004 Athens Paralympics with the gold medal for the javelin throw around his neck and the Indian flag rising on the mast as the Indian national anthem played in the packed stadium, an elated #DevendraJhajharia felt that the years of toil, sacrifice and even the jibes had all been worth it.
Overcoming disability and society
“Those remarks made me tough mentally which helped me in my sport. I believe that whatever happens, happens for good. I believe in positive outlook,” says the 40-year-old who is currently training in Gandhinagar, Gujarat for the 2021 Tokyo #Paralympics.
Jhajharia was the flag bearer for India at the opening ceremony of the games. “That was such a proud moment for me to carry my country’s flag. I desperately wanted to win the gold,” he says.
As it turned out, he won the #goldmedal in the javelin throw and set a new world record with a new throw of 62.15 metres. Jhajharia is the first Indian Paralympian to win two gold medals at the Paralympics, in #Athens and in #RiodeJaneiro in 2016.
Jhajharia was born in Jhajhariyon ki Dhani in #Churu district, falling in the #Shekhawati region of north #Rajasthan.
The Shekhawati region comprises the districts of Churu, Sikar and Jhumjhunu and it is said that in nearly every home in Shekhawati, there is one person in the armed forces and one in sports.
Jhajharia is the youngest of three brothers and his father is a farmer. He too would perhaps have followed suit but for an accident that changed the course of his life.
In 1988, Jhajharia was climbing a tree when his hand touched an 11 KV live cable that was placed in the tree. He was treated for four months in the SMS hospital in Jaipur but doctors had to eventually amputate his left arm.
It came as a shock for the young boy that he had lost his arm. Read the full story on 30Stades.com
Follow us on: Twitter: / 30stades
Facebook: / 30stades
Instagram: / 30stades
Pinterest: / 30stades
LinkedIn: / 30-stades
TH-cam: / @30stades
Music Source: • SoundHills - Find Your...

[@Vrspoonia]

Nice 😁😁😁😁😁😁😁