Mariyappan Thangavelu fought poverty and disability to win Gold at Rio Paralympic Games

10 September, Rio de Janeiro

India have won its first Gold medal of the Rio Paralympic Games. Mariyappan Thangavelu in the Men’s High Jump T-42 event brought laurels to the country as he finished first to give India’s its third ever Gold at the Games and the first after 12 years. Bronze in the event also went to India through Varun Singh Bhati.

India had claimed a Gold and a Bronze at Athens in 2004. Javelin thrower Devendra Jhajharia had then won the Gold, with Rajinder Singh claiming the Bronze in power lifting.

In the last edition of the Games in London, India had attained just a Silver.

India had won its first ever Paralympics Gold in the 1972 Heidelberg Games through Swimmer Murlikant Petkar.

President Pranab Mukherjee, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Sports Minister Vijay Goel have congratulated Mariyappan on winning a Gold and Varun for the Bronze at the Paralympic Games.

Meanwhile, accolades are pouring in for Mariappan who created history by clearing 1.89 metres in high jump and bagging the Gold.