Will we see a battle of world records at Tokyo Paralympics between Devendra and Sundar?
The Tokyo Olympics and the Tokyo Paralympics are almost upon us, and it is at the Olympics that we have often heard about world records being broken by legendary athletes. Ever heard of para athletes competing against each other to break a world record they themselves hold? Not really, right?
This time, you might. Thanks to Devendra Jhajharia, the javelin throwing sensation. The one-armed javelin thrower recently broke his own F46 javelin throw world record to record a huge throw of 65 plus meters.
Not only did it help him to achieve the qualification mark for the Tokyo Paralympics, this also puts him in direct competition with fellow thrower Sunder Singh Gurjar.
Devendra Jhajharia - India's athletic sensation -
Call it the fate of irony or India's apathy towards talent. However, it is ironic that India has not won a single medal in able bodied athletics at the Olympics. Meanwhile, most medals at the Paralympics have come ironically from athletics.
Before Neeraj Chopra raised India's hopes at the javelin throw event, it was Devendra Jhajharia who had already achieved a historic feat for India at the Athens Paralympics.
He broke the existing record of 59 meters to achieve a new world record of 62.15 meters. He was barely 23 years old then. He returned after a long haul of 12 years, to break his own record, and set a new record of 63.97 meters. Now, with a throw of 65 plus meters, Devendra is leaving no room for his competitors.
Sundar Singh Gurjar - The surprise package -
![Sundar Singh Gurjar [Centre], The Surprise Package](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/07/09a09-16252406957839-800.jpg)
However, Devendra's record was almost threatened by Sundar Singh Gurjar. Before 2016, Sundar competed in the general category.
An accident compelled him to switch to para athletics. He threw to a distance of 68 plus meters, which would threaten Devendra's record instantly. However, an administrative lapse denied him a sure shot chance at a gold medal at the Rio Paralympics.
Despite the disaster, Sundar did not give up. He continued to work hard and created history by winning a gold medal at the IPC World Championships in 2017. He has already qualified for the Tokyo Paralympics.
He is giving serious competition to Devendra Jhajharia and it is expected that there might be a tough clash between the two.
Tokyo Paralympics will be the battleground for the two record-breaking athletes
When such tough competition arises, a serious clash is bound to happen. Like a clash between Maurice Greene and Michael Johnson, we will see a serious clash between Devendra Jhajharia and Sundar Singh Gurjar.
Both can break the world record. Both have the capacity to breach the 70 meter mark. Both have the capability to create history. It is up to them to create history or become history themselves at the Tokyo Paralympics.