National Sports Day: Famous Para-Athlete Champions Taking India To The Internationals!

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They say a woman can do anything! Yes, from glorifying in different fields to taking the country to the international level, they are doing everything. Even when life hits them hard, they do not back off!

On the occasion of National Sports Day, here’s a tribute and a sincere thank you to some of those path-breaking female para-athlete champions who have glorified India in the world of para-sports.

Deepa Malik

An international para-athlete from Haryana, Deepa was diagnosed with a spinal tumour in 1999. She went through three surgeries and with 183 stitches in her shoulder blades for 14 years, Deepa was left paralysed from the waist down.

She became the first Indian woman to win a medal in the Paralympic Games in 2016. An Arjuna awardee, she is currently the world number one in the F-53 category and the only Indian female para-athlete to win medals in three consecutive Asian Para Games (2010, 2014, 2018).

Participation & Achievements

National and State level medals – 51 Gold, 5 Silver, 2 Bronze
International medals – 23

Holds An Official IPC Asian Record In Javelin F-53 Category – Felicitated by Milkha Singh and P.T.Usha
Holds All Three National Records In Throws [Discus, Javelin, Shot-put] In F-53 Category
Holds All Three National Records In S-1 Swimming Category [Back Stroke, Breast Stroke, Free Style]

President Role Model Award
Arjuna Award
Haryana Karambhoomi Award
Padmashri Award
Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award
Karamaveer Chakra award

Karamjyoti Dalal

An international para-athlete from Haryana, Karamjyoti fell from the terrace, which affected her motor sensation.

Currently a coach at Department of Sports and Youth Affairs, Haryana, she was a kabaddi player before her accident.

Participation & Achievements

Two Bronze medals at Asian Games, 2014
Ranked as world no. 8 at Asian Games 2014
Bronze Medal at World Para-Athletic Championship, 2014
Gold Medal at Fazaa Grand Prix, 2017

Manasi Joshi

An international para-badminton player from Mumbai, Manasi lost her leg in an accident in 2011.

A software engineer based out of Gujarat, she created history by clinching gold at the BWF Para-Badminton World Championships in 2019.

Participation & Achievements Asian Para Games, 2018

Silver medal at BWF Para-Badminton World Championships, 2015
Bronze medal at BWF Para-Badminton World Championships, 2017
Bronze medal at Asian Para-Badminton Championship, 2016
Bronze medal at Para-Badminton International Women’s singles, 2018
Bronze medal at Asian Para Games, 2018
Gold medal at BWF Para-Badminton World Championships, 2019

Ekta Bhyan

An international para-athlete from Haryana, Ekta met with a road accident damaging her spinal cord in 2003.

She made a record by winning gold at the Asian Para Games in 2018. She also earned one gold and one bronze at the World Para Athletics Grand Prix, 2019.

Participation & Achievements

Silver medal at IPC Grand Prix, 2016
Gold medal at National Para Athletics Championships, 2016
Two Gold medals at National Para Athletics Championships, 2017
Gold medal at Asian Para Games, 2018
Gold medal at IPC Grand Prix, 2018
Bronze medal at IPC Grand Prix, 2018
Two Gold medals at National Para Athletics Championships, 2018
Bronze medal at National Para Athletics Championships, 2018
National Award for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, 2018
State Award by Honourable Governor of Haryana, 2018
ESPN Athlete of the Year (Para Athlete), 2018

Jennitha Anto

A Woman International Master from Tamil Nadu, Jennitha caught polio at age three.

She is a six-time champion of the World Chess Championship for the Physically Disabled conducted by IPCA, consecutively from 2013 to 2017 & 2019.

Participation & Achievements

Gold medal at Asian Para Games, 2018
Two Silver medals at Asian Para Games, 2018
Bronze medal at Asian Para Games, 2018

Parul Parmar

An international para-badminton player from Gujarat, Parul was afflicted by Poliomyelitis at a young age.

She is a three-time world champion, ranked world number one in para-badminton women’s singles SL3 and was awarded the Arjuna Award in 2009 by the Government of India and Eklavya Award by the Government of Gujarat.

Participation & Achievements

Bronze medal at Asian Para Games, 2010
Silver medal at Asian Para Games, 2014
Gold medal at Asian Para Games, 2014
Gold medal at BWF Para-Badminton World Championships, 2015
Gold medal at BWF Para-Badminton World Championships, 2015
Gold medal at Asian Para Games, 2018
Gold medal at Para-Badminton International Women’s singles, 2018

August 29 is observed as the National Sports Day in India in the memory of Major Dhyan Chand, the renowned hockey player who won gold medals in Olympics for India.

Participation & Achievements Details

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India shall soon surpass its neighbour, that is China in terms of population. However, as far as its working population is concerned, we are far behind! International Labour Organisation says that only a fifth of adult women had a job or sought one in 2019, compared with three-fifths in China. The Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy, a local research firm, put the share of urban women in or looking for work at just 7% in November.

But why is that so? It is found that there is a lack of knowledge among the females of the country when it comes to the value of financial independence. While the urban ladies are opting for jobs, there is still a large group of women who prefers to put an end to the career post marriage.

What we collectively fail to instill in our women is the power of financial independence. Given the patriarchal mindset, the society is diving into – there is no point in guessing how deep-rooted and well-planned this lack of knowledge is.

Younger teenage girls are often shown marriage as the ultimate goal of their lives and not even once the value of earning your bread and butter is taught to them.

Independence

When a woman becomes financially independent whether she is married or not, she gets a stand in society. Her opinions are heard, valued, and thought upon. Not just that, with financial independence, a freedom to choose and cut ties with things/people/situations that don’t serve you is possible.

Today, the country is loaded with cases of domestic violence and some women choose to stay in the abuse because they have nowhere else to go. When you are financially independent, your confidence is unshakable and you are well versed with self-sustainability.

I believe, to ensure that women don’t rise and are always unquestionably obeying men, women are not taught the importance of saving, earning, and investing.

The ones who decide to be financially independent are looked down on but do not fall for it. Irrespective of, how rich your husband and in-laws are, irrespective of how little you earn – having a goal, a career, savings, and an empire of your own is always better than being rich and yet having nothing of your own.

We need to tell our little girls, rebellious teens, and younger women that making money is not wrong. Making money is your birthright and financial independence is your ticket to freedom. Your marriage cannot be above your career because, at the end of the day, it is better to own your bread and butter!