Are sports ultimately meaningless? A nihilist would argue that they solve nothing. They don't stop wars, end world hunger, or cure diseases. Yet fans like you and me immerse ourselves into it like teenagers in love, feeling every high and low in our bones.
Scholars of history will tell you that sports have had significant sociological influence. Their economic impact and role in diplomacy have also been of note. But let's not even go that far. If you really want to witness the magic of sports first-hand, just have a conversation with a para-athlete. Most have a soul-stirring story to tell.
Some were just born different and lived through the formative years of their lives in doubt and fear, cursing their fate every day. Some got hit by a calamity, which not only left their body differently abled but also crushed their hopes, dreams, and sometimes even their will to live. And then came sports, initially dressed as a distraction from the gloom, but ended up being the elixir that turned their entire lives around.
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With New Delhi being the venue for some major para-sports events this year, yours truly has had the privilege of listening to such poignant stories straight from their protagonists. One of them is the current President of the Paralympics Committee of India (PCI), Devendra Jhajharia, a trailblazer of the para-sports revolution in India in many ways.
Jhajharia was only eight when he accidentally touched an electric cable while climbing a tree. His left arm had to be amputated. At 23, he won gold in javelin throw at the 2004 Athens Paralympics, becoming the first Indian to do so. Only Murlikant Petkar, a former swimmer, had won a Paralympic gold for India before that. Jhajharia went on to win another gold in 2016 and a silver in 2021.
The 43-year-old mentioned in the media earlier that he did not have much financial assistance. The javelin he carried to Athens was priced at ₹300. In an exclusive chat with him, Sportskeeda delved into how things have changed for para-athletes over the last 20 years.
"At that time, government did not give me a single rupee," he said. "I spent my own money to go there. People used to ask, 'what is Paralympics?' Today nobody can say that. This is the change in last 20 years."
In 2004, India returned with two medals. At the Paris Paralympics last year, the tally was 29. Jhajharia's feat did not get much coverage. The medal-winners of 2024 were all over social media. Among other commendations, Sumit Antil, Avani Lekhara, and Navdeep Singh were even invited as special guests to Amitabh Bachchan's popular game show Kaun Banega Crorepati.
"In 2004, when I won the medal, nobody knew me," Jhajharia said. "Today, everyone knows Navdeep Singh, everyone knows Avani Lekhara, everyone knows Devendra Jhajharia. The reason is obviously that people have interested in these sports. And Paralympics are being considered equivalent to the Olympics. People see it from from that perspective now. This is the golden age of para-sports."
Jhajharia also shared how an aspiring para-athlete can take the embryonic steps in their journey.
"They should contact our state units. We also help a lot of young players through our CSR program. You see how much PCI posts on social media. It is all for awareness. For players, the doors of federation are always open," he said. "Players can even contact me directly anytime. My phone is on 24 hours."
This conversation happened earlier this month during the World Para-Athletics Grand Prix which was held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi.
"We used to dream about such events happening in India" - Devendra Jhajharia on 2025 World Para-Athletics Grand Prix in New Delhi
New Delhi is set to host several noteworthy para-sports events this year. The first of those — the aforementioned WPA Grand Prix — saw para-athletes from 20 countries take part. The hosts had, by far, the biggest contingent and bagged a total of 134 medals.
It was the first time ever that this event was organized in India. Devendra Jhajharia called it a 'dream come true' moment.
"We used to dream about such events happening in India," he said. "For 20 years, I dreamt of classification events happening in India. But somewhere, that dream remained unfulfilled when I was an athlete. I did sports for 20 years, retired in 2022. But as an administrator, I had this in my heart. I wanted a Grand Prix to be hosted in India."
In para-sports, athletes are classified based on their impairments. These categories determine which athletes will compete against whom. This classification happens at certain international events in the para-sports calendar. The New Delhi Grand Prix was one such event.
Later this year, the capital city will host the 2025 Para Athletics World Championships. It is also the venue for the ongoing Khelo India Para-games.
"It is time that India leads the way. We always had the manpower, but today we are also financially strong," Jhajharia said. "More than 100 countries will participate in it (World Championship). It is the biggest event in India’s history. We are not going to stop here. Our mission is to host Olympics and Paralympics in 2036. In order to get the hosting rights, we have to do as many events as possible and show our prowess. The government and the federation are capable. And the players are capable of getting medals."
The 2025 Para Athletics World Championships will be held from September 26 to October 5.
