Devendra Jhajharia
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A brief biography
Dec 9, 2019: The Times of India
PARA-ATHLETICS
Devendra Jhajharia was the first Indian para-athlete to win two medals (both golds) at the summer Paralympic Games. Jhajharia’s achievements include winning gold medals at the 2004 Athens Paralympic Games, 2002 FESPIC Games in South Korea and 2013 IPC Athletics World Championships, apart from a silver at the same event in 2015 and one at the 2014 Asian Games. He has received the Arjuna award, the Padma Shri and the Khel Ratna.
YEAR-WISE DEVELOPMENTS
2003-21
Sabi Hussain, August 15, 2021: The Times of India
Jhajharia, the other javelin legend, hails Neeraj’s feat
‘His Historic Performance Will Inspire Me To Go For Gold In Tokyo Paralympics’
Sabi.Hussain@timesgroup.com
New Delhi:
Devendra Jhajharia, albeit differently-abled, was scripting the country’s and his own success story in London. He launched the metallic spear to a distance of 59.77m to not only clinch a historic gold at the British Open Para Athletics Championships but also set a new world record. A year later, at the 2004 Athens Paralympics, he became India’s first track and field gold medallist at the Paralympic Games, only the second ever after Murlikant Petkar. Jhajharia shattered his own world record with a throw of 62.15m to clinch gold in style.
Jhajharia, 12 years later, again etched his name in the history books after winning a second Paralympics gold competing in F46 javelin throw event at Rio 2016. His splendid feat made him the first Indian Paralympian to clinch two gold medals at the Paralympics, that too, with a world record throw of 63.97m, a feat still to be bettered.
Jhajharia, now 40, The one-armed javelin thrower, who had to get his left arm amputated at the age of eight after he accidentally touched a live electric cable,. Hailing from Rajasthan’s Churu district, Jhajharia would be looking for inspiration from Neeraj’s defining moment in Indian athletics..
It’s a coincidence that both Jhajharia and Neeraj were 23 when they won their first Paralympics & Olympics gold respectively – Jhajharia (Athens 2004) and Neeraj (Tokyo 2020). “We regularly speak to each other about our game. We have also met four-five times during sports functions. He would always tell me ‘bhaisaab aap to laga doge throw’ (Brother, you will achieve the desired distance) and age is just a number for me. He is very respectful towards me.
Jhajharia, the first Paralympian to be honoured with Padma Shri in 2021, however, rued the fact that the differently-abled athletes still struggle to find recognition among masses.
2016
The Times of India, Sep 15, 2016
Saibal Bose
Rio Paralympics: Javelin thrower Devendra Jhajharia wins goldRio Paralympics: Javelin throw
Devendra Jhajharia had won his first Gold medal in Athens in 2004
The javelin thrower had lost his left arm below the elbow after being electrocuted as an eight-year old.
He had won the second gold medal of his career in the Paralympics, creating history for India.
The native of Rajgarh in Churu district of Rajasthan improved on his own world record of 62.15m -set in Athens in 2004 when he won his first gold -in men's F46 category with a throw of 63.97m."I was confident of winning the gold medal," Jhajharia told TOI later. "The world record is a bonus." Manju was expecting the record. "He had been working very hard for the past four months," she said. "I am not surprised that he bettered the world record."
