For Sharad Kumar, every jump he took on a rainy night was, in his own words, a war. And so it was rather fitting that his father suggested ...
For Sharad Kumar, every jump he took on a rainy night was, in his own words, a war. And so it was rather fitting that his father suggested that he read the Bhagavad Gita the previous night and he decided, whatever will be... will be.
For Mariyappan Thangavelu, the rain in Tokyo made it a bittersweet night. “Gold adikkanum (must win gold),” he said after the event on the night, when he underlined his dream of topping the podium at Paris 2024 because he wanted more than a silver. He wanted more in Tokyo, he already wants more in Paris.
At the Olympic Stadium in the men’s T63 high jump event, on a tough night in Tokyo, Sharad Kumar and Mariyappan Thangavelu jumped over more than just the bar. Apart from the challenges athletes usually face during a major event – like pressure, form etc – the Indian high jumpers had other things to overcome that makes their medal that one bit extra special.
Sharad Kumar was on the verge of pulling out from the event due to a knee problem but he overcame the anxiety to clinch the bronze medal with a best jump of 1.83m on the night. It took a deeply philosophical approach to getting ready...
