If you thought Usain Bolt or Michael Phelps provide a lot of inspirational stories, wait until the Rio Paralympic Games which gets underway on September 7. Maybe, you have not heard of this Indian athlete Maybe, you have. But this is one of those stories that teaches how sports can indeed make a difference in the life of a person.
When 8-year-old Devendra Jhajharia was playing outdoors like everybody of his age and accidentally came in contact with an electric cable of 11,000 volts, he would never have imagined to be able to represent India in sports.
He would have never dreamt of anything because most of his body was burnt and he didn't even know if he would even live through the night.
"Most of my body was burnt and I received treatment for the next six months. The doctor had to amputate my left arm and I was informed that my arm would remain weak for the rest of my life," he said in an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda.
Ater treatment when he returned to his village in Churu district in Rajasthan, Devendra was surprised to find his friends not wanting him in their teams. "They considered me to be a weakness. This was very difficult for me to absorb and somewhat disturbing. It was then that I decided never ever to be made to feel that way," the 35-year-old said.
Not giving up on life and sports
Maybe, it was his will to never be called weak again has made him the champion that he is today. Devendra added, "I picked sports specifically for this reason because sport gives you a direct avenue to showcase whether you’re physically and mentally weak or strong."
He grew up looking and feeling different - in a society where so much emphasis is placed on physical appearance. Having no control over the fact that he had one arm, he convinced himself to attain perfection in his sport - javelin throw. But he has faced a lot of challenges from time to time.
The first Paralympian to receive the Padma Shri award recalled, "Back when I was young and competing, there was very little awareness of para-sports in India. People used to talk about my condition - how will this guy throw, he doesn't have an arm."
Devendra did not pay any attention to such talks and instead took this up as a challenge.
Won Gold Medal at Athens Paralympics 2004
Yes, Devendra did not disappoint. He has been at or near the top of javelin throw for much of his life. He said, "My gold medal in Athens is my biggest achievement. It was even sweeter because I broke the World Record which even stands today."
Not just that, the Indian Paralympic javelin thrower was the first Indian to achieve such a feat and is looking forward to experiencing something similar at Rio 2016.
"Physically I am in very good shape and all of the above gives me great confidence heading into the Paralympics. I personally am confident of a medal this time. I am fairly confident the Indian contingent shall also produce incredible performances in Rio 2016," believes the Arjuna Awardee, who won a silver medal in Club Throw at the 2015 World Championship in Doha.
Back in 2004, there was barely any support for Devendra even after his medal-winning performance at the Paralympics. But that is not the case anymore. Today not just the Sports Ministry and Sports Authority of India but also private entities such as the GoSports Foundation have come forward to support some of the top Indian athletes.
Perception of para-sports is changing nowadays
"When you know so many people are supporting you and rooting for your success, it gives athletes like us increased motivation to perform well and win medals for the country," said Devendra, who is currently being funded by Go Sports Foundation.
He thinks the biggest challenge for differently-abled athletes then and even today is to overcome the social stereotype of how para sports are perceived in India. The javelin thrower believes in terms of putting a structure for para-sport, we have a long way to go.
"In our country, it is difficult to cite a single facility which is wheelchair accessible. Countries like China have stadiums designated specifically for training and competition involving para-sports. I feel India can also do something similar," he added.
Devendra Jhajharia has over 14 years of experience and wants to pass on his knowledge about the sport to the next generation of athletes through coaching and guidance. "I want to see increased representation of medals for India at the 2020 Paralympics and intend to train and guide the younger athletes with this singular objective," he concluded.
