Seven years after losing his left arm while trying to save his friend’s life in a freak tragic train accident, Ajeet Singh Yadav clinched silver medal in the men’s F46 javelin throw event at the Paris 2024 Paralympics.

The 30-year-old was on the third spot for the majority of the competition before producing a new personal best throw of 65.62m in the fifth attempt to take the second spot on the podium, pushing compatriot Sundar Singh Gurjar to the third spot.

Hailing from a village near Etawah in Uttar Pradesh, Yadav, who was working as an assistant at the Laxmibai National Institute of Physical Education (LNIPE), Gwalior, lost his left arm while trying to save his friend’s life when there were returning after attending a marriage in Jabalpur. While he managed to save his friend’s life, he suffered a tragic fall and his left arm below the elbow came under the wheels. The duo later received treatment at a hospital in Jabalpur after being referred by the local hospital.

Undeterred by the fateful incident, Ajeet continued his training and went on to finish eighth at the Tokyo Paralympics with a best throw of 56.15m.

After the Tokyo Games, he underwent another surgery and then went on to become the para world champion in Paris, launching his spear to a distance of 65.41m. He also bagged a bronze medal in the Hangzhou Asian Games with a throw of 63.52m. Earlier this year, he also won a world championships bronze medal in Kobe, with a 62.11m throw.

Neeraj Chopra’s inspiration behind Sundar Singh Gurjar’s second Paralympics medal

In a compelling intersection of past and present, Sundar Singh Gurjar, inspired by Neeraj Chopra, has clinched his second Paralympic medal, continuing a remarkable journey marked by resilience and determination.

Gurjar, who had previously shared the podium with Chopra at the 2013 National Youth Athletics Championship in Guntur, picked the bronze at the Paris Paralympics with a best throw of 64.96m.

The story of Gurjar, who hails from Devlan village, Karauli district, is one of overcoming adversity. After winning bronze and competing alongside Chopra, Gurjar faced a significant setback when a tin shed collapsed on him during a holiday trip two years later, leading to the amputation of his left hand.

Despite this, Gurjar’s indomitable spirit led him to resume training and eventually achieve great success on the international stage. Gurjar’s journey has been marked by several milestones. He set a world record with a throw of 68.60m at the Hangzhou Para Asian Games last year, and although he had a below-par season post-Tokyo, he made a triumphant return with another world record in Hangzhou.

Despite a dramatic non-start in the Rio Paralympics, where he missed out on competing, Gurjar had previously set a world record of 68.42m at the para nationals six months prior. He had won world titles in 2017 and 2019 and now stands as a testament to perseverance and excellence.

Sachin Khilari: from an UPSC aspirant to claiming Paris silver

Shot-putter Sachin Khilari could not emulate his World Championship and Asian Games success at the Paris Paralympics, and claimed a silver medal with an Asian record throw of 16.32m behind Canada’s Greg Stewart in the men’s Shot Put – F46 Final on Wednesday, thus extending India’s tally to 21 medals at the 2024 Games.

Khilari, who hails from the nondescript village of Karagani in Maharashtra’s Sangli district, was born into a farmer’s family. Sachin’s life took a dramatic turn when he suffered a fall from a bicycle near his home resulting in a fracture in his left hand. Days after, gangrene developed in the hand and it resulted in restricted movement of the hand.

Losing his mother at a young age and enduring a debilitating injury, Sachin underwent numerous surgeries that ultimately failed to restore full function to his hand. Despite these setbacks, his father’s unwavering support instilled in him the confidence.

Sachin was equally good in his studies, and studied mechanical engineering at Indira College of Engineering in Pune in the late 2000s. During that time, Sachin was spotted by local coach Arvind Chavan, who trained Khilari in discus throw and javelin throw and the youngster would win the gold medal in All India Inter Univeristy State Championships with a throw of 60m in javelin throw in 2012.

After completing his graduation, Sachin began preparing for UPSC during which he read about 2016 Rio Paralympics champion javelin thrower Devendra Jhajharia and decided to compete in the para events. And as they say, the rest is history.

After getting classified for his category in 2016, he won the gold in javelin throw with a throw of 58.47m in the Para Nationals in Jaipur in 2017. Sachin began training under then-national coach Satyanarayana, who played a pivotal role in refining his skills in shot-put, and Sachin went on to win a gold in the World Para Grand Prix in Tunisia the same year.

Last year, Sachin won his first world para title with an Asian record throw of 16.21m. He also won gold at the Hangzhou Para Asian Games with a throw of 16.03m. Earlier this year, Khilari won his second para world title with a best throw of 16.30m ahead of Greg Stewart of Canada and world record holder Joshua Cinnamo of USA.