Sportskeeda's Indian Sportsperson of the Year 2016 – No. 15 to No. 6

#6 Devendra Jhajharia

Devendra Jhajharia claimed the gold medal at the Rio Paralympics

Often called the ‘father of para-athletics in India’, Devendra Jhajharia ascended new heights in 2016. He became the most successful Indian athlete by securing a gold medal at the Rio Paralympics in September this year.

He started off 2016 by winning the gold medal at the 2016 IPC Athletics Asia-Oceania Championship in Dubai. At the Paralympic Games, he emerged as the victor in the men’s javelin throw F46 event with a world record throw of 63.97m.

This was only the second instance that an Indian had managed to break a world record on the biggest stage. The previous occasion was when Devendra set the world record at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.

This remarkable achievement by the 35-year-old has imbibed his name in the history of Indian sports and Devendra sees himself sit 6^th on our list.