Paralympics 2021: How a knee injury at the age of 10 led Tarun Dhillon to a career in badminton

Tarun Dhillon dreamt of becoming a cricketer. Tarun, a little boy from Haryana, was obsessed with the sport and would spend hours on end watching and playing the sport. Fate, however, had different plans for him.

At the age of 10, Tarun was involved in an accident that severely injured his right leg. Due to lack of proper medical attention and care, the injury to his right knee worsened. Despite two surgeries, the knee could not take its old shape and Tarun was faced with the reality. He had to lead a life with a deformed leg.

The immediate impact of the injury was that he was no longer allowed to play his beloved sport. His parents and teachers discouraged him from taking part in physical activities. But Tarun was resolute.

He knew that keeping his passion for sports alive was the only way of living a life that he could be happy with. He did not want to lead a life filled with regrets.

How Tarun Dhillon fought back after his injury

With this aim in mind, Tarun set out to find a new sport which he could learn and begin playing. And like a happy coincidence, Tarun chose badminton. Little did he know that years later he would be the undisputed king of this sport, winning multiple medals and world titles.

Tarun's talent at badminton was obvious. He started playing at local school tournaments and defeated able-bodied opponents. This garnered him the faith of his family that he could go all the way if he takes the sport up professionally.

With the support of his parents, there was no looking back for Tarun Dhillon. He picked up the sport in 2006 and by 2013 he found himself competing on the global stage.

He rose to fame when he secured the gold medal at the 2013 BWF Para Badminton World Championship in the men's singles category. Two years later, Dhillon repeated the feat and was now a two-time para badminton champion.

In between these gold medal wins, Dhillon also won the silver medal at the 2014 Asian Para Games. He was the favorite to win the gold medal but fell short at the final hurdle against Indonesia's Freddie Setiawan.

Dhillon's medal-winning spree continued at the BWF Para Badminton World Championships. In the following two editions, in 2017 and 2019, Dhillon won silver medals.

He struck gold yet again but this time at the 2018 Asian Para Games. Dhillon defeated Indonesia's Freddie, the same opponent who he lost two four years back in the gold medal match, in the final to clinch a gold medal for India.

By 2018, Dhillon had also started competing in the doubles category. Just like the singles events, it was difficult to keep him away from the medals and podiums in this new event as well.

After winning the Asian Para Games gold medal, Dhillon had only one target - winning the gold medal at the Paralympic Games. 3 years later, Tarun is standing on the cusp of fulfilling his dream. He has fought multiple injuries and setbacks in the buildup to the Games and will look to take what he set out for many years back.

Know Your Para Athlete🇮🇳's ace para-shuttler #TarunDhillon is ready to bring glory to the nation at Tokyo #ParalympicsThe cricket fanatic took to badminton after he suffered a knee injury at the age of 10. The accident could not deter his aspirations & passion for sports1/3 pic.twitter.com/L5EvKbmn1T

— SAI Media (@Media_SAI) August 23, 2021

Dhillon will participate in the SL4 category of the maiden badminton tournament at the quadrennial event in Tokyo. He is a part of a seven-player strong contingent that will be competing for India in badminton.