Something absolutely stunning took place this Sunday at the end of the final for the T13 Men’s 1500m race for the visually impaired. It proved beyond doubt that these para-athletes are heroes beyond our comprehension and are, sometimes, more adept at accomplishing something than more able-bodied people. The race saw some of the fastest running possible in a competition of such grandeur.
There are three categories for the visually impaired- T11, T12, and T13. The higher the number, the less severe the impairment.
Fouad Baka of Algeria finished the 1500m race in three minutes and 49.59 seconds in front of an amazed crowd at the Maracanã Stadium. This meant that had Baka participated in the Olympics for the 1500m race, he would have definitely won a gold medal. In the Paralympics, however, he was in for some top class competition from his fellow runners and ended up narrowly finishing fourth in the race.
Despite disappointment at missing out on a medal, Baka was able to draw heart from the fact that his brother, Abdellatif Baka, finished ahead of everyone with an impossible timing of 3:48.29. The Silver and Bronze medals went to Tamiru Demisse of Ethiopia (3:48.59) and Henry Kirwa of Kenya (3:49.59) respectively.
In August, this very Stadium saw the narrative of the Olympics unfold. The 1500 race for the able-bodied athletes ended with the US of A winning the Gold medal after Matthew Centrowitz Jr finished first. Centrowitz Jr completed the race in 3 minutes 50 seconds.
Also read: India's first fully blind Paralympic athlete Ankur Dhama registers official complaint over mid-race push
What is unique about the Paralympics is that all the participants are on an equal footing when it comes to inspiring a sense of motivation among people. There seems to be something brilliant about the unifying factor of sports and the stage given to differently abled athletes that they manage to win hearts even without winning medals. What happened in this particular race is an example of this very phenomenon. It is definitely a remarkable achievement which needs to be as publicized as able-bodied athletics is.
However, not all seems to be well. India’s Ankur Dhama participated in the 1500m race, competing in the T11 category. He finished second in his Heat but failed to qualify for the Final Round. After the conclusion of the race, Dhama was forced to register an official complaint against one of the other guides for a fellow competitor.
Vipin Kumar, Dhama’s guide, was shown to trip and fall immediately after the race began. While it is unclear as to whether or not this was intentional, Dhama certainly suspects foul play. If that turns out to be true, it will remain a black spot in the amazing sportsmanship seen in the Paralympics so far.
The Paralympics in Rio continue till September 18 and promises many such inspiring stories in the days to come.
