BAI Announces Cash Rewards for Para Shuttlers
Indian para shuttlers have been announced cash rewards by the Badminton Association of India (BAI) as a token of appreciation over their triumph at Paris Paralympics 2024. India has won five medals in badminton. This has been its best-ever show in the Paralympics till date. For the first time, Indian women stood on the Paralympic badminton podium. Medal Winners Shine in Paris Nitesh Kumar set the tone of success by bagging a gold in the Men’s Singles SL3. Suhas Yathiraj similarly repeated his Tokyo success to win a silver in the Men’s Singles SL4 category. Indian women shuttlers won medals in the Paralympics for the first time. Thulasimathi Murugesan won silver in the Women’s Singles SU5 category, while Manisha Ramadass came in with a bronze in the same category. In the SH6 category, Nithya Sre Sivan completed the tally with a bronze. Cash Awards for Outstanding Performances State Sports Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma, who also heads the BAI as Chief Minister of Assam, announced a total cash prize of INR 50 lakh for medal winners. Nitesh Kumar bagged INR 15 lakh for gold medal. Suhas and Thulasimathi will get INR 10 lakh each as they won the silver medal. Manisha and Nithya will receive INR 7.5 lakh each for bronze medallist. The BAI assures commitment to the development of Para Badminton Secretary General Sanjay Mishra of BAI mentioned consistent performances from India’s para-badminton players at international arena. According to him, cash prizes were one of the ways BAI would pay a tribute to all such efforts by these players into India’s Paralympic success story. Mishra also said that BAI continued to work in the directions that are responsible for the growth of para-badminton, which included many means of support to the players. He added that a virtual meeting with them will be conducted in order to thank them and get to know the further support and action required for their development in the future. The Sportz Planet Desk,Atharva Shetye
India Celebrate Paralympians in One-of-a-Kind Postcard Collection
The winning spirit of India’s medal winning campaign at Paris Paralympics 2024 has been chronicled with a unique set of postcards in Tamil Nadu. It is the brainchild of P Venkatesan, founding treasurer, Postcrossing Society of India and Virudhunagar based artist S Sivabalan, who collaborated over the making of a set of 28 one-of-a-kind, line-drawn, postcards of the medalists. The collection that will feature the gold, silver, and bronze winners will be released by India Post at the General Post Office in Bengaluru on September 25, 2024. Swift Creations for Every Medal Win The postcards were churned out in a very fast-paced manner – one per day India won a medal. The rarer one, with all the gold medal-winners, had already been brought out on September 9, 2024. The complete set will be out on Antyodaya Diwas, a day for the empowerment of the marginalized and falling on Deendayal Upadhyaya’s birthday. A Tribute to the Spirit of Paralympians It was a dedication to the Paralympians; they have a greater challenge. But the same time, he added, that participation from South India has been much higher this time. The whole project, supported by the Postcrossing Society of India, had crucial support from India Post and its own president Colonel Akhil Kumar who helped in getting approval. Philatelic Interest for Collectors India Post has also issued a set of stamps on the Paris Olympics 2024. Thus, the current collection of postcards will be very much in demand among the collectors. The Sportz Planet Desk,Atharva Shetye
IndianOil Rolls Out Scholarships & Medical Insurance for India’s Para Champs
India recently created ripples at the Paris Paralympics 2024, breaking all previous records with a total of 29 medals. With 7 Golds, 9 Silvers and 13 Bronzes in their kitty, India’s performance at Paris Paralympics 2024 becomes their best performance in the Paralympic Games so far. Talk about raising the bar! IndianOil Fuels Fire Behind the Glory Behind every good victory, there is a solid backbone and this time around, IndianOil shares equal merits. Since its partnership with the Paralympic Committee of India back in October 2023, IndianOil has been the fuel-driving force behind India’s para-athletes reaching great heights. The financial backing, coupled with unstinting support, gave them that extra edge to excel on the world stage. Minister Of State for Youth Affairs & Sports Cheers Smt. Raksha Nikhil Khadse, Minister of State for Youth Affairs & Sports was overjoyed, hailing the magnanimous success of the athletes. She believes that India’s para-athletes are not mere champions-they are role models for generations to come. Smt. Raksha Nikhil Khadse also gave a big thumbs-up to IndianOil’s involvement, believing that corporate partnerships are now emerging as the new power-house driving India’s sports revolution. Full Support: IndianOil Ups the Ante Wait until you hear what is next, if you think that this was something. Mr. Pankaj Jain, Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, had some very exciting news to let out: IndianOil is doubling down on its support. Monthly scholarships? Check. Medical insurance? Check. Custom sports kits? You bet! Eyes on the Future: PCI Prepares for More Wins The President of the PCI, Mr. Devendra Jhajharia, is already looking to the future and preparing to help his team of athletes to continue winning. With IndianOil solidly behind them, the prospects for India’s para-athletes have never looked brighter. IndianOil is more than just supporting them for the sake of medals. It is about filling up the tank of India’s sporting dreams. The Sportz Planet Desk,Atharva Shetye
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: 29 Is The Number For India
The Indian para-athletes have just written the ultimate sports thriller in the Paris Paralympics 2024. After more than 10 days of extreme fighting, they have collected 29 medals, including seven golds, nine silvers and 13 bronzes-more than ever before. Consequently, this is considered the biggest Paralympic success of India. This campaign had all those heart-pounding moments that culminated in unforgettable victories. Gold Fever: Avani and Navdeep Set the Stage Avani Lekhara led the way with gold in the women’s 10m Air Rifle SH1. By the time Navdeep launched his javelin to win in the men’s F41, India were into an epic finale. Not stopping there, though, India also hit some firsts. The first Paralympic archery medal was a chord struck just perfect by Sheetal Devi and Rakesh Kumar, while Kapil Parmar turned the script on its head in judo, bagging our first-ever medal in the sport. If that was not enough, Harvinder Singh ensured the golden arrow in para-archery shone bright for India. Close but Oh-So-Sweet: Top 20 Finish India finished 18th in the overall medals tally, missing out on the chance of breaking into the top 15 by a whisker-just one gold! And if this is not proof enough that India’s para-athletes are a force to be taken seriously, we don’t know what is. High Jumps And Big Records Praveen Kumar wins gold in a jaw-dropping high jump T64 final, clearing seven heights like a big deal and takes home gold. Sumit Antil wasn’t happy stopping at his world record in Tokyo; he broke it all over again at Paris Paralympics 2024 to go to a gob-smacking 70.59m in the men’s F64 javelin. Girl Power All the Way! India’s women para-athletes started a storm and India welcomed 10 women with 11 glittering medals. Preethi Pal, in her first outing, got two bronze medals in the sprints of the T35 category and left people asking for an encore. Bollywood Ending for India If the Paris Paralympics 2024 were a Bollywood movie, this would be the blockbuster ending! With golds, first-time wins and a plethora of records-smashing, Paris 2024 is a milestone that will be etched in history as India’s greatest Paralympic success. 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
Each one of you has overcome the challenges life has presented and emerged as winners: Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya
Union Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports and Labour & Employment, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, today felicitated the members of the Indian Para-athletics contingent on their triumphant return to India after their outstanding performances at the Paris 2024 Paralympics. Union Minister felicitated the athletes, coaches, and support staff during the ceremony. Addressing the contingent, Dr. Mandaviya expressed his admiration and appreciation for their remarkable achievements, stating: “I am thrilled to meet six Paralympics debutant athletes today. I want to congratulate Deepthi on winning a medal in her very first participation in this prestigious event. To the others, I give you my best wishes for the future Paralympics, where I am confident you will win medals. Remember, playing is not just about medals, each one of you has overcome the challenges life has presented and emerged as winners. You are all an inspiration to millions of youth across India.” Among those present were athlete Deepthi Jeevanji, who won the bronze in the Women’s 400m T20 category on her Paralympic debut, and her fellow debutant athletes Ravi Rongali (Men’s Shotput F40), Rakshita Raju (Women’s 1500m T11), Kanchan Lakhani (Women’s Discus Throw F53), Sakshi Kasana (Women’s Discus Throw F55), and Manu (Men’s Shotput F37), along with their coaches Rahul Balakrishna, Suresh Kumar Kuruba, Sunil Lakhani, and escort. Deepthi, whose talent was discovered by SAI coach N Ramesh in Hyderabad, started her para-athletics journey in 2019. She has been a Khelo India athlete since 2018 and is now a TOPS athlete. In a short period, she has won many international competitions including a God Medal at the Asian Para Games and a Gold Medal at the 2024 World Championship, where she broke the world record. In the domestic circuit, she made a mark by winning two medals at the Khelo India Youth Games in 2020. After the felicitation programme, Deepthi said, “I am so happy that I could win a medal for the country. I won a bronze medal now, but I will try to win a gold next time.” India has bagged a total of 24 medals, including 5 Gold, 9 Silver and 10 Bronze medals, as on the end of the day’s events on September 4, 2024. The Sportz Planet Desk,Atharva Shetye
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