Rakshitha Raju: From Small-Town Tracks to the Paralympics
In the Chikkamagaluru region of Karnataka, little Rakshitha Raju found her passion for running on the grounds of Ashakirana School for the Blind. Blind by birth and orphaned early in life, brought up by her grandmother, Rakshitha Raju fought various disabilities. After all, who needs sight when you have a vision? Rakshitha’s legs had become the guiding compass to a future she had never imagined. Running Away. Into Opportunity A dream of only traveling grew bigger. Rakshitha Raju’s physical education teacher told her that running could take her farther-literally. From city to city, state to state, her legs were her ticket to adventure. Coach Rahul: The Game Changer Then came the game-changer in the form of coach, Rahul Balakrishna. An eye for talent and a heart full of belief, Rahul didn’t just train Rakshitha Raju-invest he did. He even took out a Rs 2 lakh loan to fuel her dreams. Talk about commitment! Together they stormed international competitions, grabbing gold at the World Para Athletics Junior Championships and the Asian Para Games. Hers is much more than a story of medals; it is about outrunning limitations, silencing doubters and chasing dreams with every step. The Sportz Planet Desk,Atharva Shetye
Paris Paralympics 2024: Kapil Parmar’s Bronze Blitz: India’s Para Judo Trailblazer
Kapil Parmar created history by securing India’s first bronze medal in para judo at the Paris Paralympics 2024. On Thursday, Parmar simply outclassed his opponent, Brazil’s Elielton de Oliveira, in the men’s 60kg (J1) category with an absolute thrashing of 10-0. Talk about a convincing victory! From the small village to big leagues Kapil, the Judo sensation from Shivor-a teeny village in Madhya Pradesh, that is only large enough to have a mishap with the water pump. Being the youngest of five siblings, his dad drives a taxi, while his sister runs a school; one would think Parmar’s story was the script for a real-life underdog movie. His middle brother is a judo enthusiast and joined him for training. Family squad goals! Lightning Start to a Judo Career Kapil Parmar’s path to the Paralympics was not easy. As a kid, he had received a shock when he came in contact with a water pump and slipped into a six-month-long coma. Powering up blindsided, he used this as an opening he could bank on in blind judo, initiated by his ever-inspiring mentors Bhagwan Das and Manoj Sir. Medal Mania How is that for being on a roll? Kapil Parmar’s trophy cabinet has started looking like a judo jackpot. From silver at the Asian Para Games 2022 to golds at the Commonwealth Championships and IBSA Judo Grand Prix in 2024, the medals have been coming as if he is collecting them for the end of their fashion. Add to this a bronze at the IBSA World Games in 2023 and it becomes clear: Kapil is on a winning streak that is raising a storm. So here’s to Kapil Parmar-India’s para judo trailblazer, who showed the rest of us with grit and grace, even from a village as unlikely as anything, the birth of a champion was possible! The Sportz Planet Desk,Atharva Shetye
Paris Paralympics 2024: Narayana Konganapalle’s Journey From Landmine to Lifeline
Life can change in a blink – or, in the case of Narayana Konganapalle, with one step. Just seven days before the completion of his tenure in Jammu and Kashmir, Narayana stepped on a landmine. His world exploded, quite literally, with his leg blown off below the knee. Newly married and eager to go home, this was not quite the homecoming he had in mind. What do you do when the direction of your life changes so suddenly? If you are Narayana, you resort to sports and in the process create a saga of grit and willpower that may motivate an entire nation. Prosthetics and Perseverance Months in hospital passed, and Narayana did not know how to impart the news to both his parents and his wife. He kept the secret and his spirit intact, finding hope in the form of a prosthetic limb at Pune’s Artificial Limb Centre. A year after that incident, Narayana was walking again, and he was getting ready for an all-new adventure. And it wasn’t your regular post-army career move either. From Border Patrol to Rowing Royalty Narayana’s venture into sports began with javelin, but running did not agree with his newly fitted leg. In came rowing. Within one year of this, he was killing it-inning medals at the 2019 Poland Championship and bringing home bronze from the World Rowing Cup and the Asian Championships. The second master of this former sepoy, once guarding India’s borders, was now creating waves-quite literally-on the world stage, along with his rowing partner, Kuldeep Singh, another soldier with a story of resilience. Together they snagged bronze at the 2022 World Cup. Rowing with a Twist Just when you thought his story couldn’t get more epic, the 2023 Para-Asian Games threw in a curveball. The men’s event was scratched and Narayana needed a new partner. Along came Anita, another amputee of fighting spirit. With just eight months of training, this time the dynamic duo began to row their way into silver in the Para-Asian Games and faster than it takes to say the word “underdog,” qualified in the Paralympics of 2024. Not bad for two people that a few years prior had to relearn how to walk! First a soldier, then a rower-Narayana’s story is one of life’s quirky little twists and turns that you can’t help but enjoy. From battlefield to the lanes, his story showed that no matter how fantastically life decides to blow up in your face-or leg-there’s always a way to row forward. The Sportz Planet Desk,Atharva Shetye
Paris Paralympics 2024: Yogesh Kathuniya; From Paralysis To Paralympics
Yogesh Kathuniya’s journey to becoming a Paralympic silver medalist shows the strength of determination and hardwork. Born in Haryana, Yogesh was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome at the age of 8, a condition that left him paralyzed and battling for mobility. Despite this daunting challenge, Yogesh refused to let it limit his potential. When Yogesh Met Sports Yogesh’s introduction to sports came much later in life, during his college days at Kirori Mal College, Delhi University, where he discovered his talent for discus throw. With no formal training initially, he worked tirelessly to hone his skills, eventually breaking into the international arena. Yogesh Breaks Through His breakthrough came in 2019 when he set a world record in the men’s F36 category at the World Para Athletics Championships with a throw of 45.18 meters. This achievement put him into the limelight, however it was just the beginning. A Silver Lining For Yogesh At the Tokyo Paralympics 2020, Yogesh clinched a silver medal with a throw of 44.38 meters, cementing his status as one of India’s finest Paralympic athletes. Beyond his athletic success, what makes Yogesh truly inspiring is his unwavering dedication, overcoming personal and financial challenges with the support of his mother, his biggest pillar of strength. Yogesh Kathuniya’s story isn’t just about medals—it’s about redefining strength and proving that no obstacle is too great to overcome. The Sportz Planet Desk,Nitya Sutrave
Paris Paralympics 2024: From Roller Hockey to Wheelchair Hero: The Unstoppable Pranav Soorma
Pranav Soorma was your regular sports-loving teenager, zipping through roller hockey matches, smashing sixes on the cricket field. That was until life threw him the ultimate curveball at 16. A freak accident-where a cement sheet fell on his head-changed it all, leaving him paralyzed and facing a future in a wheelchair. Wheelchair? No Problem! Let’s Crush Exams Instead For most, that would be game over. Not for Pranav Soorma. With a razor-sharp mind and 91.2% in the 12th boards-yes, you read that right-he planned his coup in academics by doing a degree in Economics from the prestigious Delhi School of Economics and landed a plum role as an Assistant Manager at Bank of Baroda. The power move! Para Sports: Love at Second Sight And then, the most unlikely comeback happened. Pranav Soorma went back to loving sports this time on wheels. Enter para athletics! It wasn’t long before he crushed the competition: a silver at the 2019 Beijing Grand Prix and gold at the Serbia Open 2023. His ultimate flex? Smashing a throw of 30.01m at the 2023 Asian Para Games with a new record for the men’s club throw F51 event. Boom! The Real MVPs: Team Soorma, aka His Fam Here’s the kicker-Pranav Soorma didn’t do it alone. His dad, Sanjeev, quit to become his full-time sports sidekick, while his mom held down the fort as his biggest cheerleader. With their backing, Pranav Soorma’s story isn’t just about medals; it is of grit, family, and turning life’s wildest challenges into pure gold. The Sportz Planet Desk,Atharva Shetye
Paris Paralympics 2024: Dharambir’s Golden Throw Breaks Records
India’s Dharambir catapulted himself into history books with a sensational gold medal win in the men’s club throw F51 event at the Paris Paralympics 2024. A Victory of Records While the 35-year-old boy from Sonipat, Haryana, won gold and topped the podium, the sensational throw of 34.92m also broke the Asian record. And just for kicks? He did it on his fifth attempt – talk about saving the best for last! Double Delight for India And here comes the cherry on the cake: compatriot Pranav Soorma took the silver, thus ensuring a fantastic 1-2 finish for India. The victory took India’s medal count to 24 in this particular edition of the Paris Paralympic Games-higher than ever for the nation! As such, India has moved up to an overall ranking of 13th and is having quite a time in the Paris Paralympics. Dharambir’s Story: An Inspiring One Dharambir’s tale goes far beyond the winning throw. Quite literally, a tragic accident while diving in a canal in his village that left him without the use of his lower body below the waist saw him take life lying down; he soared over. Guided by mentor and para-athlete Amit Kumar Saroha, Dharambir dived head-first into para-sports in 2014, qualifying for the 2016 Rio Paralympics just two years later. Thence, he has picked up medals right, left, and center, including two silvers each at the Asian Para Games and a bronze at the 2024 World Para Athletics Championships. Resilience Pays Off Indeed, he has achieved some serious success, and no wonder it saw him snatching the Bhim Award in 2022. With government support behind him, Dharambir surely proved that nothing was too big-or too far away-for him to surmount. The Sportz Planet Desk,Atharva Shetye
Paris Paralympics 2024: Eight Medals-Countless Smiles!
Eight medals in a single day. Who would have had ever even imagined it in the wildest of their dreams? Or let’s call it a dream. However our Indian athletes brought the dream into the reality on the eve of 2nd of September 2024 at the Paris Paralympics 2024. Well this is how the day unfolded. Silver Spin to Start the Day Grit, glory and a pinch of magic. Indian athletes belted out a record eight medals on the same day at the Paris Paralympics 2024 to keep the tricolor high and hearts bursting with pride. The day kicked off with Yogesh Kathuniya converting silver into history in the men’s discus F56 final that set the pace for the medal-packed marathon ahead. Golden Triumphs Nitesh Kumar and Sumit Antil Shine But it was just the beginning! The golden boy, Nitesh Kumar, stormed past Great Britain’s Daniel Bethell in the men’s singles SL3 final, clinching gold and securing a place in the legends’ book. Sumit Antil then unleashed his strong points in the men’s javelin F64 final and threw his way to gold with a Paralympic record of 70.59 meters. Silver Streaks: Badminton Battles Bring More Glory The silver lining in badminton came courtesy Suhas Yathiraj and Thulasimathi Murugesan, both of whom lost in a razor-edge cliffhanger in the final. Bronze Brigade: Archery and Badminton Heroes But the bronze brigade wasn’t to be left behind. Manisha Ramadass smashed her way to a third-place finish in the women’s singles SU5, while dynamic archery duo Sheetal Devi and Rakesh Kumar hit the bullseye for bronze in the mixed compound event. Nithya Sre Sivan’s Last Minute Heroics As the day closed at the Paris Paralympics 2024, Nithya Sre Sivan’s victory in the women’s singles SH6 ensured India’s medal tally gleamed even brighter. A Day to Remember India’s athletes didn’t just win medals, they won hearts-a proof that Paris truly is the city of lights-and our para-athletes are its brightest stars! Here’s to more golden dreams and shining moments in the days to come. The Sportz Planet Desk,Atharva Shetye
Paris Paralympics 2024: Nishad Kumar Takes Silver in Men’s High Jump Event
India’s sole medal hope in athletics competitions at the 2024 Paris Paralympics, Nishad Kumar, duly obliged as he won a silver medal in the Men’s High Jump T47 event. Kumar achieved a mark of 2.04 meters-a season record. Thrilling Competition Outcome The electrifying competition this morning earned Nishad Kumar a silver badge in the podium position. America’s Roderick Townsend-Roberts took gold with a season-best leap of 2.08m, with Russia’s Georgii Margiev in bronze. Consistency and Recognition This feat has become all the more exemplary since it has come as a repeat of the silver medal that Nishad Kumar had secured in the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, proving his sustained brilliance in the sport. PM Modi Congratulates Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Nishad Kumar via a social media post on twitter.com. He said the nation cherished Nishad Kumar’s greatness, determination, and passion to scale greater heights for such an achievement. “Congrats to @nishad_hj for his remarkable achievement in winning a Silver medal in the Men’s High Jump T47 event at the #Paralympics2024! He has shown us all that with passion and determination, everything is possible. India is elated.” tweeted the PM, exhorting support for the Indian contingent with #Cheer4Bharat. Inspiration and National Pride Performance by Nishad Kumar continued to instigate and motivate the Indian sporting fraternity to make them proud with their nation rising in the global Paralympic order. The Sportz Planet Desk,Atharva Shetye
