Yes We Can

Twenty-nine medals, with seven gold and nine silver medals. From one in 2012 to four in Rio and 19 in Tokyo, it has been a story of exponen­tial growth for India at the Paralympics. India had not won seven gold medals in the last four editions of the Paralympic Games combined, a statistic good enough to put in perspective the Paris 2024 campaign. While each of these gold medals is a story, the seventh and last gold medal, which catapulted India into the top 20 of the medal rank­ings, is a fascinating tale of resilience and determination.

Navdeep Singh, forever the fourth finisher before heading to the Paris Paralympics, was not given much chance. His record was not awe-inspiring either and many within the Indian contingent had written him off. The day before his event, one of the officials said rather bluntly, “We will finish with six gold medals because none of the athletes left can get us a gold.” However, on the night of the seventh, Navdeep was a man possessed. In his second attempt, he surpassed his personal best with a throw of 46.32 metres. And thereafter, hurled the javelin to a distance of 47.32 metres, break­ing the Paralympic record in the process.

“After the second throw and after all the excitement had sub­sided, I went to my coach and asked him how long was the throw. I had missed checking the scoreboard amid all the tension. When my coach said 46.32 [metres], I did not believe him. I actually told him it was not true and he was not telling me the truth. When he insisted it was the truth, I said to him, ‘khao maa kasam’. There is a photograph where I am seen telling him this and after he did so, I was convinced I could do something special that night,” said Navdeep.

“He is a very sincere athlete. While many had written him off, I had always believed in him and pushed him to do well. His tech­nique is excellent and if he got it right, he could always surprise you,” said Sunil Tanwar, Navdeep’s coach.

Navdeep, who comes from Haryana, had originally set out to be a wrestler like many others in his village. “His father was a wrestler. He wanted his son to be a wrestler as it was part of the tradition in his village,” said Satyanarayana Shimoga, head coach of the Indian Paralympics contingent. “When he had first met me, he said he had great hopes for Navdeep as an athlete. I am pleased Navdeep has been able to fulfil every expectation.”

The way Navdeep Singh won was complete drama. When the event had ended, Navdeep was declared the silver medallist and had come to the mixed zone to speak to the media. All of a sudden, we were told that the Iranian, Sadegh Beit Sayah, was disqualified and Navdeep had been awarded the gold

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“I wanted to take up wrestling for that is the sport everyone plays in my village. It is kind of expected. Soon after you are 10 or so, you go to an akhara and start training. It is ingrained in us. We have seen many decorated wrestlers come from the area and there are many role models to follow. For me, however, things were different. It was Neeraj Chopra who changed it all as far as I am concerned. When Neeraj won the gold in the U20 World Championships in 2016, my outlook changed. Seeing someone from Panipat shine on the world stage, I got the confidence to try my hand at javelin. If he could do it, I could also try,” said Navdeep.

“So, what is it about Neeraj that inspired him?” I asked. “Neeraj is one of us. He started from a very humble background and made it big. It is all about hard work and he is a clear example of what hard work can do. That is what inspired me and pushed me to follow his example. During the Tokyo Olympics, he was not the favourite to win gold. Yet, he defied all odds and became the first Indian ever to do so. That tells you that with hard work and fo­cused training, anything can be done,” said Navdeep.

THINGS, HOWEVER, DID not go to plan for him in the first few years. While he qualified for Tokyo and also com­peted at the World Championships, the podium continued to elude him. “It was very difficult to digest. I would throw very well in training but when it came to the competition, I was not able to play to my potential. I did not know what was going wrong and felt acutely frustrated on occasion. No athlete wants to lose and when you see your colleagues win medals, you tend to get more and more frustrated. Coming into Paris, not many had given me a chance. I did not mix with too many people since coming here either. All I wanted to do was perform well and do something for India,” said the gold medallist.

The way Navdeep won was complete drama. When the event had ended, Navdeep was declared the silver medallist after the Iranian and had come to the mixed zone to speak to the media. He even congratulated the Iranian athlete and that is when the penny dropped. All of a sudden, we were told that the Iranian, Sadegh Beit Sayah, was disqualified for improper conduct and Navdeep had been awarded the gold. His first reaction, however, was to console the Iranian athlete and give him a helping hand. Seeing him cry, Navdeep got him a bottle of water and stayed with him for a while. “Of course, I was happy at being awarded the gold. Who would not want to win gold at the Paralympics? But beyond everything, we are sportsmen. I have known my opponent for years now and my first instinct was to help him. I had an idea what he was going through and it was important I stayed with him,” said Navdeep.

With Sadegh having displayed a flag other than the national flag, it was considered a violation of the International Paralympic rules and as a result, he was disqualified. While it might be considered harsh, rules are rules, as we know from the Vinesh Phogat case.

Soon after the announcement was made, Iran decided to file an appeal, and rightly so. By then, the Indians too had come together. Led by the Paralympic Committee of India President Devendra Jhajharia and Chef de Mission Satya Prakash Sang­wan, all senior members of the Indian delegation waited at the Stade de France to see the final outcome of the appeal. “We were ready to protest if needed. The rules are clear. If you show any­thing other than your national flag, it is considered a violation. We are not interested in knowing what flag it was. That it was a religious thing is known and that’s enough for the IPC [Interna­tional Paralympic Committee] to act,” said a senior member of the Indian delegation. Navdeep, too, was waiting with bated breath when nearly an hour-and-a-half after the appeal was filed, it was announced that the decision to disqualify the Iran athlete had been upheld and the appeal was rejected. It was also announced that the medal ceremony would be conducted soon and it was the very last medal to be awarded at the Stade de France for this edition of the Paralympics.

What happens after a month or two? Will they be forgotten yet again? Will we continue to speak about them and document their journeys? Unless we do so and wake up four years later, all the gains made will be lost

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It all had a tone of the unreal. The very last time the Stade de France heard a national anthem here in Paris for the Paralympics, it was the ‘Jana Gana Mana’. Thanks to Navdeep, we could all see the Tricolour go up and India had won a record seventh gold medal. The campaign has surpassed expectations and has given para-sport in India a solid foundation. After the disappointment of the Olympics, the Paralympics have given the country a much-needed high, and to finish in the top 20 of the medals tally is a serious achievement.

While we celebrate this achievement, we must also voice a word of caution. It is well known that the next month or so will be full of felicitations and award functions. Each one of these ath­letes will be showered with rewards and more. But then, what happens after a month or two? Will they be forgotten yet again as we all move to cricket and the Border-Gavaskar Trophy? Will we continue to speak about them and document their journeys even after the initial euphoria is over? Unless we do so and wake up four years later, just ahead of the LA 2028 Games, all the gains made will be lost. These athletes must be followed and written about when they participate in world championships or other events. That’s when the masses will know more about them and continue to follow them. That’s when the movement can become all-encompassing, and more and more people will come forward to play para-sport. The Paralympic movement in India is now at a crossroads. Paris has created momentum. The key is if we can sustain it. If we don’t, it will be a major opportunity lost. And if we do, finishing in the top 10 in the world in LA28 could be a very real expectation.

About The Author

Boria Majumdar

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