Rio Paralympics 2016: A historic win for India

Nothing can describe the feeling of seeing our flag raised up high. It is a feeling of immense pride and a sense of belonging to something bigger. Indians experienced such a moment on September 9, 2016. With Mariyappan Thangavelu creating history by bagging the first-ever gold for the country and Varun Bhati clinching bronze at Rio Paralympics in men’s high jump T-42 event, it was a sheer delight for every Indian.

The event witnessed massive competition, with 6 out of 12 para athletes crossing the 1.74 mark in the first eight attempts. In the later stages when the contest was reduced to three competitors, Bhati set the mark with a 1.83m jump along with Thagavelu. However, in a nail biting finale, Thangavelu grabbed the top honours by finishing with a jump of 1.89m, Sam Grewe of USA clearing 1.86m mark to win a silver medal and Varun Bhati with his personal best of 1.86m bagged a bronze medal.

In a historic win, Mariyappan’s medal is India’s first-ever gold in high-jump at the Paralympics. We would like to congratulate Mariyappan Thangavelu and Varun Bhati for their glorious win. Hope this tradition of winning medals continues in the days to come in Rio Paralympics 2016.

Featured Image Courtesy: Reuters