India had won four medals in a single edition of the Paralympics before 2016. They did that in 1984. But none of the four medals in 1984 was gold. They had won gold before as well, in 1972 and 2004, but the total medal count was fewer. At Rio de Janeiro in 2016, India surpassed all expectations. They sent 19 para-athletes (16 men, three women). Four of them won a medal each, all in athletics, propelling India to the 43rd position on the points tally. This remains

India’s best performance in a single edition by some distance. India at the Paralympic Games Part 4, 2008 Beijing: No Medal for Indians.

In 2004, Devendra Jhajharia had set a world record to win the gold medal in Men’s Javelin Throw F44/46. He set a world record again, in Javelin Throw F46, throwing 63.97m to win gold. Till date, Jhajharia is the only Indian to have won two gold medals at the Paralympics.

But Jhajharia won only India’s second gold medal of the edition. The first went to Mariyappan Thangavelu, in Men’s T42 High Jump. At five, Mariyappan was walking to school when he was run over by a bus. The part below his right knee was permanently damaged. India at the Paralympic Games Part 5, 2012 London: Girisha Nagarajegowda Wins Silver Medal.

Mariyappan jumped 1.89m, his personal best, to clinch gold. That was 3cm more than Varun Singh Bhati, who set a new personal best as well, winning the bronze medal in the process.

The fourth medal, a silver, went to Deepa Malik, who threw a personal best distance of 4.61m in the Women’s F53 Shot Put. She became the first Indian woman to win a medal at the Paralympics. Two years later, she would win gold at the F53/54 Javelin in the Dubai Grand Prix. Her numerous achievements include a 1,700 km drive including a 5,500 m climb in sub-zero temperature – in just eight days, and tenth position in backstroke in the 2008 World Swimming Championship in Berlin.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 23, 2021 11:48 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).