New Delhi: Devendra Jhajaria, India's top Javelin thrower has not only qualified for Tokyo Paralympics 2020 but also broken his own record in the game. The 40-year old has qualified for the Paralympics for the third time.
Jhajaria had a national selection trial in New Delhi for Tokyo Paralympics on Wednesday. He sent the spear 65.71m long during the trial and booked a berth for him at the Tokyo Paralympics. This was better than his previous personal best of 63.97m which he had created during the Rio Paralympics 2016.
After winning the Paralympics spot, Jhajaria said, “Today at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Delhi, I qualified for the Tokyo Paralympics by setting a new world record of 65.71, breaking my older record of 63.97 in a qualifying event. This was possible because of my family's support, and the efforts of my coach Sunil Tanwar and fitness trainer Lakshya Batra,” Jhajharia tweeted in hindi," in a tweet.
Jhajaria has won two gold medals (one in Athens 2004 and one in Rio 2016) previously at the Paralympics and has represented India thrice in the competition. The Paralympic Games are set to begin on August 24 in Tokyo.
What Are Paralympic Games?
Paralympic Games are the ones that are organized for athletes with physical disabilities. These games are usually organized subsequently after the Olympics games. The Paralympic Games were started in 1960. Rome hosted the first-ever Paralympic games in which more than 400 athletes from 23 countries participated. India has won 4 gold medals at the Paralympics Games out of which two have been won by Jhajaria.