Mariyappan Thangavelu
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A brief biography
As in 2024 Sept
M Sudharshan, Sep 5, 2024: The Times of India
Chennai : Mariyappan Thangavelu was five years old when he met with an accident and lost the lower part of his right leg. If that was not enough, a few years later, Mariyappan’s father Thangavelu abandoned his family and extreme poverty followed. But the boy from Periyavadagampatti village in Salem refused to give up, sought refuge in athletics, and is now one of the most decorated para-athletes of the country.
Mariyappan’s high-jump bronze in men’s T63 category in Paris with a leap of 1.85m is his third medal for India in Paralympics. As a 21-year-old, he had burst onto the scene in Rio, winning the gold and followed it up with a silver in Tokyo five years later. The 29-year-old Tamil Nadu boy has now become the first Indian athlete to win a medal in three successive Paralympics.
Mariyappan, though, was not satisfied with his performance on Tuesday night. “My body did not respond properly and I became nervous, due to which I could not produce my best jump. The weather was cold, and I could not adapt to the conditions quickly,” he told TOI from Paris.
His coach Satyanarayana felt that Mariyappan could have performed even better, given his recent form. The high-jumper came to Paris on the back of a strong performance, having won gold at the World Championships in Kobe in May. He advised Mariyappan to travel to the USA earlier this year so that he could get good exposure and the move paid off. “I am happy with Mariyappan’s performance, but I feel that he could have won silver or gold,” Satyanarayana, the head coach of the Indian athletics contingent at the Paris Games, said from the French capital.
Satyanarayana noted that the competition level in Mariyappan’s category has increased significantly, with his competitors also delivering impressive performances. However, Satyanarayana acknowledged that maintaining consistency across three Paralympic Games is in itself an outstanding achievement. “But that doesn’t mean this is the end for him. Mariyappan will compete in Los Angeles as well,” the coach said.
While life seems to have taken a fairytale turn for the athlete — all due to his perseverance — the initial days of struggle can’t be forgotten in a hurry. After his father left, Mariyappan’s mother Saroja became the sole breadwinner for her four kids. But she never discouraged the little boy from following his passion — she could see the desire in his son — though success was like a distant dream.
It was a story of incredible struggle as there weren’t enough training facilities in the small village. Add to that the fund crunch — Mariyappan struggled to travel to competitions as he did not have enough money. “My family supported me a lot and my mother would give me money whenever I asked her. A school teacher of mine, Ranjendiran sir, motivated me and it was he who sent me to Bengaluru to train under coach Satyanarayana,” Mariyappan said.
There was no looking back for the TN athlete after he joined hands with Satyanarayana. Within one year of training under him, Mariyappan finished top of the podium in Rio. The two have known each other for close to a decade now and share a father-son relationship.Having seen Mariyappan from close quarters, Satyanarayana believes that the TN athlete has the potential to become a good coach.
“While Mariyappan’s designation is that of a coach at the Sports Authority of India (SAI), he is passionate about contributing to the development of sports in Tamil Nadu. He took up the SAI job for monetary benefits as he needed a fixed salary to take care of his family. We have requested the sports minister of Tamil Nadu to provide him with a permanent job. I hope he gets the job as early as possible,” Satyanarayana said.
