Para-athletes strike gold

MADURAI

Five para-athletes from Madurai won gold and silver medals at the 20th National Para Athletic Championship 2022 conducted from March 27 to 31 at the Kalinga Athletic Stadium in Bhubaneswar, Orissa.

Fifty-one para-athletes from across Tamil Nadu participated through the Paralympic Sports Association in Tamil Nadu, of which 11 para-athletes represented Madurai.

Men and women players from Tamil Nadu won a total of 22 medals–10 gold, 9 silver and 3 bronze medals.

Para-athletes from Madurai, namely S. Manoj won a gold medal in shot put, Padaithalaivan won a gold medal in discus throw. S. Prasanth and K. Ganesan bagged silver medals in shot put under different categories. A. Selvaraj won silver medal in javelin throw.

The players were categorized according to the percentage of their disabilities by a team of Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) classifier doctors.

The competitions conducted were 100 metres, 200 metres, 400 metres, 1,500 metres races, long jump, high jump, shot put, discus and javelin throw. More than a thousand para-athletes participated from all over the country.

Para athletic coach, J. Ranjithkumar, Madurai Division Regional Senior Manager, Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu, Beulah Jen Susheela, District Sports and Youth Welfare Officer N. Lenin, a team of coaches, lauded the winners who represented Madurai.