Devendra

Jhajharia

Devendra Jhajharia (born 10

June 1981) is an Indian
Paralympic javelin thrower
competing in F46 events. The
first Indian Paralympian to win
two gold medals at the
Paralympics, he won his first
gold in the javelin throw at the
2004 Summer Paralympics in
Athens, becoming only the
second gold medalist at the
Paralympics for his country.[1]
At the 2016 Summer
Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro,
he won a second gold medal in
the same event, bettering his
previous record.[2] Devendra is
currently being supported by
the GoSports Foundation[3]
through the Para Champions
Programme.
Devendra Jhajharia

Devendra Jhajharia with his gold

medal from the 2016 Summer
Paralympics

Personal information

Nationality Indian

Born 10 June 1981

Sport

Country India

Sport Athletics

Event(s) F46 Javelin

Coached by R. D. Singh
Early Life and
Background
Devendra Jhajharia was born in
1980 and hails from the Churu
District in Rajasthan. At the
age of eight, climbing a tree he
touched a live electric cable.
He received medical attention
but the doctors were forced to
amputate his left hand.[4][5] In
1997 he was spotted by
Dronacharya Awardee coach R.
D. Singh while competing at a
school sports day, and from
that point was coached by
Singh. He gave credit to his
personal coach R. D. Singh for
2004 Paralympic Gold Medal,
saying: "He gives me a lot of
advice and helps me during
training."[6][7]

Career
In 2002 Jhajharia won the gold
medal in the 8th FESPIC
Games in South Korea. In
2004 Jhajharia qualified for his
first Summer Paralaympic
Games representing India at
Athens. At the games he set a
new world record with a
distance of 62.15m eclipsing
the old one of 59.77m. The
throw gave him the gold medal
and he became only the
second gold medalist at the
Paralympics for his country
(India's first gold medal came
from Murlikant Petkar).[8]

Further athletic success came

in 2013 at the IPC Athletics
World Championships in Lyon,
France when he took the gold
medal in the F46 javelin throw.
He followed this with a silver
medal at the 2014 Asian Para
Games at Incheon in South
Korea. At the 2015 IPC
Athletics World Championships
in Doha, despite throwing
59.06, Jhajharia could only
finish in second place, claiming
silver behind China's Guo
Chunliang, who threw a
championship record distance.

In 2016, he won a gold medal

at the 2016 IPC Athletics Asia-
Oceania Championship in
Dubai. At the 2016 Summer
Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro,
he won the gold medal in the
men's javelin throw F46 event,
bettering his own 2004 record
with a world-record throw of
63.97 metres.[2]

Personal life
A former Indian Railways
employee, Jhajharia is
currently employed with the
Sports Authority of India. His
wife, Manju, is a former
nationally-ranked kabaddi
player; the couple have a
daughter, Jiya (aged six) and a
son, Kavyan (aged two).[9]

Awards and
recognition
Rajiv Gandhi khel Ratna
(2016)
FICCI Para-Sportsperson of
the Year (2014)[10]
Padma Shri (2012; first
Paralympian to be so
honoured).[11]
Arjuna Award (2004)

Quotes
I have never compromised with
my training: Devendra
Jhajharia[12]

The one tip that won

Paralympic champion
Devendra Jhajharia his second
gold medal[13]

References
1. "Paralympics 2016 |
Devendra Jhajharia breaks
World Record to win Gold at
Paralympics" . 2016-09-14.
Retrieved 2016-09-14.
2. "Paralympics: Javelin
thrower Devendra Jhajharia
wins gold by breaking world
record" . The New Indian
Express. 14 September 2016.
Retrieved 13 September 2016.
3. "GoSports Foundation" .
4. "Devendra" .
infostradasports.com.
Retrieved 21 September 2013.
5. Sharma, Sandipan (9 March
2005). "At awards night, Govt
ignores Paralympic gold
winner" . indianexpress.com.
Retrieved 21 September 2013.
6.
http://www.sportskeeda.com
/general-sports/indian-
javelin-thrower-devendra-
jhajharia-wins-silver-world-
para-athletics-meet
7. http://www.thehindu.com
/news/cities/mumbai/sport
/paralympic-gold-medallist-
devendra-jhajharia-javelin-
genius/article8456210.ece
8. Shrikant, B (22 August
2012). "Forgotten hero:
India's first Paralympic gold
medallist" .
hindustantimes.com. Archived
from the original on 25
September 2013. Retrieved
21 September 2013.
9. "Dad I topped, now it's
your turn: Daughter told
Jhajharia" . The Times of India.
14 September 2016. Retrieved
14 September 2016.
10. "FICCI announces the
Winners of India Sports
Awards for 2014" . IANS.
news.biharprabha.com.
Retrieved 14 February 2014.
11. "Padma Awards" (PDF).
Ministry of Home Affairs,
Government of India. 2015.
Archived from the original
(PDF) on November 15, 2014.
Retrieved July 21, 2015.
12. "Timesofindia.com" .
13. "gqindia.com" .

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