Paralympic Games: India’s water sports athletes confident of best show in Tokyo

For
Suyash
Jadhav,
it
is
his
2nd
Paralympic
Games
while
Niranjan
Mukundan
and
Prachi
Yadav
will
be
making
their
bow
at
the
biggest
stage
for
the
first
time
in
Tokyo.
All
three
are
a
part
of
the
Target
Olympic
Podium
Scheme
(TOPS).

Tokyo
Games
is
going
to
be
our
best
outing
at
Paralympics,
says
Deepa
Malik

Suyash
Jadhav’s
victory
in
the
Men’s
50m
Butterfly
S7
(32.71
seconds)
in
the
2018
Asian
Para
Games
in
Jakarta
assured
him
an
entry
to
the
Tokyo
Paralympics.
In
fact,
even
his
bronze
medal
there
in
the
Men’s
200m
Individual
Medley
SM7
(2:51.39)
earned
him
a
slot
in
the
event
at
the
Tokyo
Paralympics.

Now
a
swim
coach
in
Pune
at
the
Directorate
Sports
and
Youth
Affairs,
Maharashtra,
Suyash
has
been
training
at
the
Balewadi
Stadium
under
the
watchful
eyes
of
his
coach
Tapan
Panigrahi.

He
has
been
given
assistance
from
the
Government
of
India
in
terms
of
Foreign
Exposure,
wherein
he
has
participated
in
more
than
five
International
Competitions
as
well
as
participation
in
National
Coaching
Camps
with
sports
science
support
along
with
sports
kit.

Eurosport
India
secures
rights
to
broadcast
Tokyo
Paralympic
2020
Games

Suyash’s
hands
had
to
be
amputated
after
being
electrocuted
at
the
age
of
11.
Post
the
2016
Paralympics,
he
bagged
one
gold
and
two
bronze
medals
at
the
Asian
Para
Games
in
Indonesia
in
2018
as
well
as
the
Eklavya
Award
in
2018
and
the
Arjuna
in
2020.

While
Suyash’s
200m
Individual
Medley
SM7
event
is
scheduled
for
August
27,
he
will
be
in
action
again
along
with
Niranjan
Mukundan
in
the
Men’s
50m
Butterfly
S7
events
on
September
3.
For
the
record,
Murlikant
Petkar
became
the
first
Indian
athlete
to
win
a
Paralympics
medal
when
he
claimed
50m
Freestyle
gold
in
Heidelberg,
Germany.

Tokyo
Paralympics
2020:
Meet
India’s
past
medallists
at
the
showpiece
event

Earlier
this
month,
26-year-old
banker
Niranjan
was
allotted
a
bipartite
place
in
the
Games
by
the
International
Paralympic
Committee.
He
has
over
60
international
medals
and
is
the
only
Para
swimmer
to
cross
the
50-medal
mark.
Niranjan
has
received
assistance
from
the
Government
in
terms
of
foreign
exposure
trips
as
well
as
participation
in
national
coaching
camps
with
sports
science
support.

Born
with
Spinal
Bifida
and
clubbed
feet,
Niranjan
is
keen
to
make
a
mark
at
the
Paralympics,
having
trained
in
Bengaluru
under
John
Cristopher,
through
the
pandemic
despite
testing
positive
for
Covid-19
a
few
months
after
losing
his
grandmother.

Tokyo
Paralympics:
5
athletes,
6
officials
from
Indian
contingent
to
take
part
in
opening
ceremony

Meanwhile,
Prachi
Yadav,
26,
became
the
first
Indian
to
secure
entry
in
the
Paralympic
Games
Para
Canoeing
competition.
She
will
take
part
in
the
Women’s
VL2
200m
Heats
on
September
2,
with
the
semis
and
final
scheduled
the
next
day.

Sachin
Tendulkar
seeks
support
for
Paralympic
Games

On
her
international
debut
at
the
ICF
Para
Canoe
World
Cup
in
Poznan,
Poland,
in
May
2019,
she
finished
eighth
after
progressing
past
the
first
round
and
semifinal
runs.
Later,
in
the
August
2019
ICF
Para
Canoe
World
Championships
in
Szeged,
Hungary,
she
entered
the
semifinals.

Tokyo
Paralympics
press
ahead
to
allow
students
to
attend

Training
under
Mayank
Singh
Thakur
at
the
Lowe
Lake
in
Bhopal,
Prachi,
who
is
physically
challenged
below
her
waist,
also
has
received
key
interventions
from
the
Govt
of
India
in
terms
of
participation
in
international
competitions
and
national
coaching
camps
along
with
sports
science
support
and
kits.

Source:
SAI
Media