Her family faced constant taunts: Deepthi Jeevanji’s coach after world record in Para Athletics World Championship

Deepthi Jeevanji’s coach Nagpuri Ramesh said that the athlete and her family had to face taunts from villagers for her being “mentally impaired’. On Monday, May 20, Deepthi made India proud after winning the gold medal in the women’s 400-meter T20 event at the Para Athletics World Championship in Baku, Japan.

Deepthi clocked a stunning 55.07 seconds and made the world record in the event. The record was earlier held by Breanna Clark of the United States of America (USA). Clarke had clocked 55.12 seconds in the previous edition of the championship in Paris.

“Deepthi’s parents were daily wage laborers, and they were struggling to run the family. On top of that they faced constant taunts from the villagers that a mentally impaired girl cannot get married,” Ramesh told PTI from Hyderabad.

Earlier, Deepthi set a new Asian record by clocking 56.09 seconds in the qualifying round.

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"The same villagers are praising them for being parents of Deepthi" - Nagpuri Ramesh

Deepthi’s coach said that the wheels of fortunes have turned in favour of the athlete since the Asian Para Games last year. She won the gold medal with a timing of 56.69 seconds in Hangzhou. Ramesh said that Deepthi answered her naysayers with her performances.

“After Deepthi won gold in the Hangzhou Asian Para Games last year, the scenario changed. Now, the same villagers are praising them for being parents of Deepthi. They told me this when they came to Hyderabad after the Para Asian Games.

“They told me even the district collector and politicians of the area visited their house, which was a shock to them, considering how things have changed,” Ramesh added.

Deepthi will also take part in the Paralympics to be held in Paris later this year. She qualified for the quadrennial event after clocking 56.18 seconds in the 100-meter (Category F) at the Indian U20 Federation Cup in Nadiad.

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