India’s Paralympic athletes have so far won four medals in Rio, including two golds, outpacing their Olympic counterparts who won just two medals last month and delivered the country’s worst performance in 12 years.
Look at the proud makers of Paralympics 2016
Devendra Jhajharia (Gold)
Devendra Jhajharia bettered his own world record to win gold in the men's javelin throw F46 event at the 2016 Rio Paralympics. Jhajharia won gold in the javelin event at the 2004 Athens Paralympics with a record throw of 62.15 metres, becoming only the second gold medalist at the Paralympics for his country, and improved upon it with an attempt of 63.97 metres at the Olympic Stadium
The 36-year-old is currently ranked third in the world. He was awarded the Arjuna award in 2004 and the Padma Shri in 2012, becoming the first Paralympian to receive the honour.
He was electrocuted while climbing a tree when he was eight years old and his left hand had to be amputated.
He last participated in the Paralympics 12 years ago. The F46 event did not feature in the 2008 and the 2012 editions. Devendra Jhajharia was India’s flag-bearer at the 2016 paralympics
Mariyappan Thangavelu (Gold)
Mariyappan Thangavelu wins historic gold medal in men's high jump T-42 event at the Rio Paralympics. Thangavelu, 20, says the best gift he could give his mother, Saroja — a fruit-seller in Periavadamgatti, 60-odd kilometres from Salem, in Tamil Nadu — was to win a medal at the Games. “For all the hardship she had endured to look after us, I needed to win a medal. So I told her I would come back with a medal and she should pray for me at the village temple every day,” he says.
Thangavelu became only the third Indian to win a gold medal at the Paralympic Games.
Thangavelu was just five years old when he lost his right leg. He was playing outside his home when a state transport bus ran over him, crushing his knee. He doesn’t remember the day or date, but he recollects that his mother was wailing.
“We were already poor, and she was the only earning member. The accident made my mother’s life more difficult. She had to take care of a disabled son'' said recalling his past.
Deepa Malik (Silver)
Shot putter Deepa Malik, won silver medal and became the maiden Indian woman Paralympic medalist. Deepa Malik, 45-year-old, is the oldest in the Indian contingent in Rio to win a medal.
Deepa dedicates the medal to support women with disabilities in India. In her winning speech said, "I want to use this medal to support women with disabilities in India. This journey has been wonderful for me and my entire family, I am proud to be the oldest athlete in the team and win a medal,"
It was her personal best throw of 4.61 metres in the F53 final event.
Varun Singh Bhati (Bronze)
Varun Bhati equalled his own personal best – 1.86 metres – to finish in third position behind Mariyappan, and American Sam Grewe. Athough he has tasted success in the 2016 Paralympics, he has won gold medals at the 2014 Asian Para Games, and at the 2016 IPC Athletics Asia-Oceania Championship. In the latter tournament, he jumped 1.82 metres, setting a new Asian record.
Varun Singh Bhati, who clinched the bronze medal in the men's high jump T-42 event at the Rio Paralympics, faced a lot of hardships before achieving the historic feat.
Bhati jumped his personal best of 1.86 metres to finish third at the quadrennial extravaganza
The 21-year-old, who trains at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) centre in Bengaluru, is suffering from a T-42 disability. This is a disability classification in the sport for differently-abled track-and-field athletes with single 'above the knee' amputations or a comparable disability.
He was also part of the Indian team for the 2014 Asian Para Games in Incheon (South Korea) where he finished fifth. The same year he won a gold medal at the 2014 China Open Athletics Championship. In 2015, he took the fifth position again at the 2015 Para World Championship in Doha (Qatar)
Enhancing his reputation as India's leading para high jumper, Varun recorded a jump of 1.82m at the 2016 IPC Athletics Asia-Oceania Championship where he won a gold as well as set a new Asian record.
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