Indian Contingent For Paralympics 2012
The Paralympic Committee of India have decided to send a 10-member Indian Team to participate in the London Paralympic Games to be held from 29th August to 9th September 2012. This 10 member team includes 1 Swimmer, 1 Shooter, 3 Powerlifters and 5 Athletes. Here is the detailed list:-
1. NARESH KUMAR SHARMA (SHOOTING)
Ace rifle shooter Naresh Sharma has qualified for the London Paralympics in the Men’s 10m Air Rifle R1 Standing event, 50m Rifle Three Position R7 event and 50m Rifle prone event R6. Naresh, who had finished 5th after an impressive show in the Men’s 50m Rifle Prone event at the Beijing Paralympics in 2008, will be competing in his second Paralympic Games. Naresh has 99% disability and is paralysed from waist below.
2. SHARATH M GAYAKWAD (SWIMMING)
Sharath M Gayakwad is the only Indian Swimmer to have qualified for the London Paralympic Games. Sharath, who is also the Asian Record holder in 50m Butterfly & 50m Breaststroke, will compete in 4 events in Swimming at the Paralympics. Sharath, who was born with a deformed left hand, is currently the World No. 13 in 100m Breaststroke event. He won two Gold, four Silver and one Bronze at the IWAS World Games in 2009.
3. JAGSEER SINGH (LONG JUMP)
Jagseer Singh qualified for the London Paralympics in the Long Jump event during the Kuwait International Open Athletics Championships in Jan 2012. Jagseer clinched gold in the long jump event with a leap of 6.55m. Jagseer, who lost his right hand at the age of 9 due to electric shock, is also the Arjuna Awardee of 2010. He feels with a little more support from the government, the Paralympians too can do wonders. Just organizing felicitation ceremonies won’t help. If the government backs the paralympians, we too can deliver good results, he said.
4. HN GIRISHA (HIGH JUMP)
High Jumper HN Girisha, who hails from Karnataka, won the Bronze Medal at the IWAS World Games. He is also a good medal prospect for India at the London Paralympic Games. After winning the medal, he said “It is a great feeling to win a medal in front of the home crowd. It’s also my first medal in a senior international meet.” Girish, who lost the silver by just eight points to his team-mate Sanjay Kumar, has a deformed left leg. “I was born with a twisted left ankle. As I am from a poor family, I couldn’t get the right treatment when I was young. My father is a farmer so we struggled financially,” said Girish. “I hope this medal will bring me some recognition,” he added.
5. NARENDER (F 44 JAVELIN THROW)
Narender has qualified in the F 44 event of Javelin Throw at the London Paralympics. F 44 event is for those athletes who have a single below-knee amputation. Athletes with normal function in the throwing arm and slightly reduced function in the legs or slight balance problems compete in this event.
6. JAIDEEP (F 42 DISCUS THROW)
Jaideep Qualified in the F 42 Discus event by clinching the Gold at the Malayasian Para Athletics Championships in April 2012. This event includes athletes with single above-knee amputation, double above-knee amputations, and athletes with combined arm/leg amputations. It may also include athletes with severe problems when walking, such as impairments in one leg from polio.
7. AMIT KUMAR SAROHA (F 51 DISCUS THROW)
Amit Kumar Saroha qualified for the London Para Games at the Asian Para Games held in China in 2010. Saroha, who was a former Wheelchair Rugby player, will compete in F 51 event at the London Paralympics. This event is for athletes with mild weakness in shoulders who can bend elbows normally, but have limited ability to straighten, can bend the wrists backward but not forward, have no movement in fingers, no trunk or leg function. Saroha was paralysed when his car was struck by a speedy truck. It took Saroha six months just to be able to use a wheelchair. The accident that didn’t kill him, made him stronger. Five years later, Saroha has thrown a one kilogram discus far enough to win two international and six national gold medals. Currently ranked No. 2 in his discipline, he looks back on those days of recovery and says, “I did not feel grateful at having survived. I did not feel lucky.”
8. FARMAN BASHA (POWERLIFTING 48 Kg)
Farman Basha will be competing in the Powerlifting event in the 48 kg wt. category at the London Paralympic Games. Basha, who is also the former Arjuna Award winner, has competed in 2 Paralympics before this. Basha was once ranked in the top six para-lifters in the world but now his ranking has gone down. In an interview Basha said, “While the international athletes get good facilities and always have more than one coach accompanying them, we don’t get even the basic amenities.” But still Basha is very confident of putting a good show at the Para Games.
9. RAJRENDER SINGH RAHELU (POWERLIFTING 67.50 Kg)
Rajrender Singh Rahelu has won eight medals – three gold, two bronze and three silver medals – in various international games and journeys, including Paralympics and is also an Arjuna Awardee. Rahelu, who was also awarded a medal and a cash prize of Rs 12 lakh from the central government for his sporting genius in Paralympics in August 2010, is confident of giving his best for the country at the London Paralympics.
10. SACHIN CHOWDHRY (POWERLIFTING 82.50 Kg)
Sachin Chowdhry will be competing in the Powerlifting event at the London Para Games. He will be competing in the 82.50 kg wt. category. Powerlifting was introduced in the Para Games on the year 2004.