Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa announced an award of Rs 2 crore for Mariyappan Thangavelu, the gold-medal winning athlete from Tamil Nadu. On Saturday, Thangavelu became the first Indian to win a gold medal in the T 42 high jump event of the Paralympic games in Rio de Janeiro.
Thangavelu’s gold was soon joined by a bronze medal won in the same event by Varun Singh Bhati, bringing India’s overall medal tally in the Paralympics games to two. The silver medal of the event went to Sam Grewe of the United States.
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While a section of people was disappointed at the lack of attention that was given to the athletes by the media, with no sports channel showing a live telecast of the games, it seems that the concerned authorities took a notice of it, thus announcing the prize money.
“By leaping over a height of 1.89 metres, you have leapt into history and done both the Nation and the State of Tamil Nadu proud. Your achievement, overcoming several obstacles and hurdles, will inspire more and more children and youth to overcome adversities and to participate and strive for greater achievements,” the chief minister said in a statement.
Thangavelu’s feat is slowly but surely coming into the limelight and being lauded all over the country. Thangavelu and Bhati’s achievement came on day two of the Rio Paralympics in the T42 high jump event. The T42 is a disability classification for sports events in which the athletes have single above the knee amputations or other comparable disability.
Born in the Periavadamgatti village, 60 km away from Salem, Mariyappan’s mother sells vegetable for a living. When the athlete was 5 years old, he met with an accident while on his way to school, which permanently impaired his knees. Despite the medical treatment which cost his family a loan of Rs. 3 lacs, (which they can now repay) the athlete’s knees could not be restored to normality.
While growing up with impaired limbs, he showed great promise in volleyball and played the sport in school. Later, it was Mariyappan's Physical Education teacher who honed his skills in the high jump.
In his young career, he has won several national and global awards, including gold at the IPC Tunisia Grand Prix.
After winning a gold medal at the Paralympics, Mariyappan Thangavelu has certainly placed his home state on the national map with this rare feat. The prize money from the Tamil Nadu government, thus, was coming sooner or later.
