New Delhi, Mar 21 (PTI) Ramesh Shanguman gave Tamil Nadu a flying start in the track and field events by winning a gold medal in the men's 800m T53/T54 event on day two of the Khelo India Para Games here Friday.

A former basketballer, Chennai's Shanguman hails from a farming family in Tiruchirappalli. He lost his legs in a lorry accident when he was eight.

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However, he did not let the setback hold him back and took to sports. He started as a para basketball player but then shifted to wheelchair racing.

"I have faced a lot of struggles in my life. I need to achieve something. Every day just comes and goes. But I had the desire to make a name for myself. I have to prove myself," Shanguman told SAI Media.

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"I motivate myself every day. Now my parents are very happy. In the first KIPG in 2023, I won the bronze medal, this time I won the gold medal. My family is a big support. Without them, I could not have been a medallist.”

Tamil Nadu has won six of the 27 gold medals that had been decided so far. Haryana and Maharashtra were close second with four golds each.

In the para badminton competition, Paris Paralympics gold winner Nitesh Kumar and Tokyo Paralympics gold medallist Krishna Nagar showed their dominance.

Kumar made the finals in his category while Nagar entered the semifinals. Nithya Sre and Palal Kohli, the other top names in the badminton competition, also advanced ahead in their respective sections.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)