Both Mariayapan Thangavelu and Sharad Kumar recorded their season-best jumps of 1.86m and 1.83m respectively.
Twitter / Tokyo 2020 for India
Indian paralympic high jumpers Mariyappan Thangavelu and Sharad Kumar won a silver and bronze respectively in the men's high jump T63 event, taking India's medal tally at the Tokyo Paralympics 2020 to an unprecedented 10 on Tuesday, August 31. Mariyappan, a Tamil Nadu native, won silver by clearing 1.86 metres, while Sharad Kumar, who hails from Patna, clinched the bronze with an effort of 1.83 metres. Both para-athletes recorded their season-best jumps. Sam Grewe, the gold winner from the United States of America, succeeded in soaring above 1.88m in his third attempt. “Just as at Rio 2016, India has two athletes in the podium places in Men's High Jump T63 Final! Mariyappan Thangavelu and Sharad Kumar have won #silver and #bronze medals respectively, taking Flag of India's medal tally into double figures,” #Tokyo2020 for India tweeted on Tuesday. Mariyappan Thangavelu, the 26-year-old Tamil Nadu native, was conferred with the Khel Ratna, the country’s highest sporting award, in 2020. The 26-year-old was touted to be a sure shot medalist for India after rising to fame after his gold medal victory in the 2016 Rio Paralympics. Mariyappan, who hails from Salem, suffered permanent disability in his right leg after he came under a bus when he was only five years old. Raised by a single mother after his father abandoned them, Mariyappan battled poverty while growing up. His mother worked as a labourer before becoming a vegetable seller. He had also worked as a newspaper hawker to support his family and sustain his sporting dreams when he started his career. The Rio 2016 champion settles for #Silver at #Tokyo2020, but fought until the end to retain his title! Watch his Men's High Jump T63 Final attempt #Paralympics #ParaAthletics #INDpic.twitter.com/7Lh1fyhlXg — #Tokyo2020 for India (@Tokyo2020hi) August 31, 2021 Mariyappan Thangavelu had won the 2016 Rio Paralympics T-42 high jump gold by clearing 1.89m. He qualified for the Tokyo Paralympics 2020 after finishing third in the T-42 high jump event at the 2019 World Para Athletics Championships in Dubai. #Silver for #IND CONGRATULATIONS!!#MariyappanThangavelu wins SILVER Medal in the Men's High Jump T63 Final event.#Tokyo2020 | #Paralympics | #Praise4Para | #ParaAthletics pic.twitter.com/oWH1xJIkJo — Doordarshan National दूरदर्शन नेशनल (@DDNational) August 31, 2021 Meanwhile, Sharad Kumar, who hails from Patna in Bihar, suffered paralysis in his left leg as a two-year-old after being administered a spurious polio vaccine. He is a two-time Asian Para Games gold-medallist. #Athletics: Sharad Kumar clears 1.83m mark in the Men's High Jump T63 Final event.#Tokyo2020 | #Paralympics | #Praise4Para pic.twitter.com/O0kuVraXid — Doordarshan Sports (@ddsportschannel) August 31, 2021 The current world record in the T-42 high jump stands at 1.96m, set by Canada's Arnold Boldt in the Netherlands in June 1980. The current world record in the T-63 high jump was set by Sam Gewe in August 2019 in Peru. According to the International Paralympic Committee (IPC)'s classification system, Sport Class T42-44 refers to “lower limb competing without prosthesis affected by limb deficiency, leg length difference, impaired muscle power or impaired passive range of movement.” Sport Class T61-64 refers to “lower limb/s competing with prosthesis affected by limb deficiency and leg length difference." Both Mariyappan Thangavelu and Sharad Kumar are T-42 Sport Class athletes. Applauding Mariyappan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted, “Soaring higher and higher! Mariyappan Thangavelu is synonymous with consistency and excellence. Congratulations to him for winning the Silver Medal. India is proud of his feat,” tweeted PM. Several leaders, including Union ministers, sports stars and other politicians, too, applauded Mariyappan and Sharad for their victory. “It's a #Silver and #Bronze for India Flag of India Amazing performances by Mariyappan Thangavelu and Sharad Kumar!” tweeted actor Abhishek Bachan. It's a #Silver and #Bronze for India Amazing performances by Mariyappan Thangavelu and Sharad Kumar! #TokyoParalympics pic.twitter.com/TlFgUt9yQw — Abhishek Bachchan (@juniorbachchan) August 31, 2021 Union Minister for Transport Nitin Gadkari tweeted that Indians are overjoyed by the victory of the athletes. “The nation is proud of Mariyappan Thangavelu for winning #silver and @sharad_kumar01 for winning #bronze in High Jump at #Paralympics. Every Indian is overjoyed by the stupendous performance of our athletes during #Tokyo2020.” The nation is proud of Mariyappan Thangavelu for winning #silver and @sharad_kumar01 for winning #bronze in High Jump at #Paralympics. Every Indian is overjoyed by the stupendous performance of our athletes during #Tokyo2020 pic.twitter.com/GcMTmLi6nL — Nitin Gadkari (@nitin_gadkari) August 31, 2021 Spectacular performance by Mariyappan Thangavelu. Proud of him for winning the Silver Medal in the #Paralympics. #ParalympicsTokyo2020 #Praise4Para— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) August 31, 2021 Congrats Mariyappan Thangavelu. What an inspiring performance to win Silver in Men’s High Jump T63 and second Paralympic medal. So close to Gold. #Paralympics #tokyo2020 pic.twitter.com/dHaF0kIaWv— Viren Rasquinha (@virenrasquinha) August 31, 2021 Mariyappan Thangavelu and Sharad Kumar win #Silver and #Bronze medals respectively in Men's High Jump Finals (T63) taking India's medal tally into double figures! #Paralympics #India pic.twitter.com/61pvd5hHzg— Dr Sudhakar K (@mla_sudhakar) August 31, 2021 Meanwhile, the third Indian in the fray and 2016 Rio Paralympics bronze winner, Varun Singh Bhati reached seventh among nine competitors as he could not clear 1.77m. Earlier in the day, shooter Singhraj Adana fetched a bronze in the men's 10m air pistol SH1 event. India has so far won two gold, five silver and three bronze medals.
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