Amit Kumar Saroha, in his career as an Indian Paralympian, has secured two medals in the Asian Para Games in 2014 as well as a gold medal in the Olympic qualifier event in 2012. He has even received the prestigious Arjuna award from the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports of India for his contribution to Indian sports, specifically in the field of Athletics, in 2013.
Here are ten things you need to know about the 31-year-old Amit Kumar Saroha before his appearance at the 2016 Rio Paralympics where he will be participating in the F51 category in Discus throw and Club throw.
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1) He was born in Haryana in 1985 and had to resort to a wheelchair after suffering a car crash at age 22 which caused serious injuries to his body including the compression of his spinal cord, leading to him becoming a quadriplegic.
2) Amit Kumar Saroha used to be a national level hockey player before his accident and after joining para sports became the first quadriplegic to represent India at a Paralympic games at London in 2012.
3) Saroha met American wheelchair rugby player Jonathan Sigworth after his accident who was a promoting para-sport in India at the time and it was then that he was first introduced to para-sports.
4) He joined wheelchair rugby soon after and in a demonstration game with Brazil, he came in contact with other para-athletes from around the world before learning the nomenclature for his injury which is F51.
5) Amit started training for sports that required upper body strength and started competing in throw ball and discus throw events and it was at this time when his athletics career really took off.
6) In 2010, Saroha participated in his first Asian Para Games which took place in Guangzhou, China where he managed to secure a silver medal for himself in Discus throw, thereby being one of the fourteen Indian medalists at the events that year.
7) Two years later in 2012, Amit Kumar Saroha won Gold in the Olympic qualifier event, breaking the Asian record and earning his place in the 2012 London Paralympics as well 3rd place in the world rankings.
8) After receiving the Arjuna award from the government of India, Saroha went on to secure two medals, a gold in Club throw with a throw of 21.31 meters, thereby breaking the Asian record and a silver in Discus throw at the 2014 Asian Para Games where he also earned the qualification for 2016 Rio Paralympics
9) Amit trains at the Sports Authority of India in Sonipat in Haryana and is currently supported by the GoSports Foundation for his 2016 Rio Paralympics appearance.
10) In his time off from para sports, Amit has appeared as a motivational speaker at institutions like IIT Guwahati and BITS, Pilani. He also promotes para sports across India.
