The person behind Rajasthan's Para movement

By Saurabh Duggal

India finished its Tokyo Paralympics campaign with 17 medals - the country's best ever performance in para quadrennial games. Out of 17, five medals – Avani Lekhara (shooting; gold, bronze), Krishna Nagar (badminton; gold); Devendra Jhajharia (javelin throw; silver); Sunder Gurjar (javelin throw; bronze) – are won by the athletes from Rajasthan. The Northern state also has the credit of 2004 and 2016 Paralympics gold medals - both medals were won by Devendra Jhajharia. 

Rajasthan is among the country’s leading states as far as the para sports are  concerned and RD Singh, who is country's first coach to be awarded dronacharya in para sports category, is the person behind the state’s para movement.  

The para sports was introduced  in the state in mid 90s and in the 2004 Athens Paralympics, Rajasthan’s Jhajharia won gold in javelin  throw. It was after a gap of 32 years that India won gold in Paralympics. Before Athens, India’s Murlikant Petkar won gold in the 1972 Paralympics.    

“Earlier we (referring to para athletes from Rajasthan) didn’t have much idea about the sports for disabled athletes and para sports was largely confined to Bangalore. Gradually we came to know about the para sports and our athletes too started competing in the para events. I opened a sports academy for para athletes in Hanumangarh in 1997 and Jhajharia was our first success at the international arena. Since 2004, in every Paralympics there has been an athlete from Rajasthan doing the country's honour,” says RD Singh. “Till date over 30 of my trainees (para athletes) have got jobs in various sports departments under sports quota.” 

RD Singh was conferred with the Dronacharya award in 2007.  
 
“Government jobs and cash incentives played a major role in the development of para sports in the state,” says Singh.

Three of his trainees Jhajharia, Jagseer Singh and Sandeep Singh Maan have got Arjuna award. Sundar Singh Gurjar, who won bronze in Tokyo, also started the sport under RD Singh, but later came under the wings of Jaipur-based coach Mahaveer Prasad Saini. 

“Earlier majority of the para players used to come from Hanumangarh, but now we have players in para sports across the state,” says Singh.