Nuggets of excellence

India's score at Tokyo Paralympics exceeds its cumulative medal tally of all the past Paralympics it has participated in since 1968. The contrast speaks volume of the magnitude of success our athletes have achieved in Tokyo. While some of these athletes like Mariyappan Thangavelu and Devendra Jhajharia have been holding the bastion for around two decades, others like Avani Lekhara have tasted massive success in their very first go. As the second-ranked para shuttler Krishna Nagar won the gold medal in the men's singles SH6 after beating Chu Man Kai of Hong Kong, India's medal tally at Paralympics 2020 rose to 19 — nearly four times higher than our previous bests in 1984 and 2016. Though the Paralympic Games were first organized under the aegis of the International Stoke Mandeville Games Federation in Rome in 1960, India would make its debut only in the 1968 Tel Aviv Paralympics, where the contingent of 10 athletes failed to grab any medal in India's maiden venture. Murlikant Petkar made a 'Golden' breakthrough at the 1972 Heidelberg Games as he set a world record at 37.331 seconds in 50m freestyle swimming. After missing out on two Games thereafter, India made a strong comeback in 1984 — winning four medals — which remained unsurpassed until this soaring success at Tokyo Paralympics. Joginder Singh Bedi shone like anything in the 1984 Games as he bagged three out of the four medals — a silver in men's shot put L6 event, bronze in Javelin throw L6 event and a bronze in Discuss throw L6 event. Bhimrao had won silver in the L6 Javelin throw, adding the fourth medal. The success of 1984 was then followed by a 20-year long drought of medals. Devendra Jhajharia ended this drought with a gold medal in the 2004 Athens Paralympics. Athens Games saw another medal from Rajinder Singh — a bronze in the 56-kg category in powerlifting. Beijing proved out to be a disappointment for India. But the Indian contingent bounced back with two medals in the 2012 London Paralympics and a record-matching 4-medal haul in Rio Paralympics. Then we have this phenomenal performance in Tokyo which will remain inscribed in the memories of all Indians for years and decades to come. If we look at the pattern along which we have progressed since 1968, we may infer that there have been inconsistencies in performances across various Games. For whatever reasons, we have failed to build upon instances of excellence. For every crest, there has been a dip. At this point in time, we need to ensure that the momentum doesn't die down. To be honest, this is a rare moment when our para-athletes have caught the attention of the entire nation. The only reason seems to be our obsession with glittering medals, which these para-athletes — through their unmatched endurance and hard work — have produced in abundance. It is time to go beyond and celebrate their outstanding abilities. The taste of their success is sweeter than is conceived. It is based on the height of human endeavour where one makes the so-called 'disabilities' meaningless through their hard work and perseverance. The Tokyo Paralympics has brought before us the beauty of this pure human and sporting spirit. This relentless striving can be read from Mariyappan Thangavelu's seemingly simple words 'I could have won Gold. I'll prepare for the Paris Paralympics'. This statement hides behind it an unarticulated passion and hunger — the hunger to get past all obstruction and reach the helm of human abilities. Sports is all about getting past the physical and mental constraints positively after each competition. While comparisons should be abstained from, it is pertinent to highlight that this objective of sports — to strive towards human excellence — is way higher for para-athletes than any able-bodied sportsperson. The success and pride our para-athletes have brought to the nation can be gauged through accolades and medals. But their excellence and pure spirit are beyond the purview of shining metals. Now that they have once again proved their abilities, and this time in the best possible way, it can be hoped that the nation positively turns towards them. The Tokyo Paralympics should not only be remembered till eternity, but it should also shape our notions regarding ability and disability in the present. This is also a call for administrators and policymakers to step up their efforts towards building appropriate infrastructure for people with 'disabilities'. Nobody knows how many 'hungry' humans with extraordinary abilities are in want of social infrastructure and a platform to add to the nation's pride and give the human race invaluable nuggets of excellence.