Athletics is a sport that tests the physical and intellectual abilities of any player. Athletics is a sport where India has only one Olympic gold medal so far. Participating and winning in athletics requires a lot of hard work. The Paris Olympic Games have ended. Now it is the turn of the Paralympic Games after the Summer Olympics. Athletics will dominate the Paris Paralympic Games as well.
In these games, athletics is called para athletics. Paralympics is the Maha Kumbh of players with physical impairments and the importance of winning a medal here is no less than the Olympics. Athletics in Paralympics is open to physically, visually and intellectually challenged categories. The success of athletics in Paralympics is also evident. This is evident from the large number of events held in the Paralympic Games. For example, take the 100 meter race. There are only two finals for men and women in the Olympic Games, whereas there were 29 finals in the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. In which there were 16 events for men and 13 for women.
The history of Para athletics can be traced back to 1952, when athletes with spinal cord injuries competed in the javelin throw at the Stoke Mandeville Games. Athletics was one of the first eight sports to be included in the first Paralympic programme at Rome 1960. This includes a variety of track events (excluding hurdles and walking events), jumping events, throwing events (excluding hammer throw), and the marathon, which was introduced in 1984.
It is noteworthy that in Paralympic Games, players are classified according to their impairment. This classification also works for para athletes. Players can compete in different ways according to their impairment, such as using a three-wheeled wheelchair, prosthesis, or throwing seat. Players who have poor eyesight can play with a guide runner for the race or with the help of a coach for throw and jumping competitions.
However, if you are thinking that players with any kind of impairment can become para athletes, then this is not the case. Players with paralysis (paraplegia and quadriplegia), amputation of limbs, vision problems and blindness, cerebral palsy, mental impairment, short stature participate in para athletics. Let’s take a look at the classifications in the Paralympic Games of athletics, one of the most prominent events of any sport.
In the Paralympics, players are classified on the basis of a letter and a number. It all depends on the physical impairment of the players.
Letter: T (track and jump) or F (field)
Numbers: 11-13: Visual impairment
20- Mental disability
31-38: Coordination impairment (standing or sitting)
40-47: short stature, amputation or loss of limbs
T51-54: Wheelchair (race or throws)
61-64: Competition in lower limb sports with prostheses
Here 1 represents the most severe impairment and 8 represents the least severe.
To understand how these letters and numbers are used, let’s take a look at some of India’s medal-winning para athletes at the Tokyo Paralympics.
Mariyappan Thangavelu won the silver medal in men’s high jump T42.
Sharad Kumar also won a bronze medal in men’s high jump T42.
Praveen Kumar won the silver medal in men’s high jump T64.
Devendra Jhajharia won the silver medal in men’s javelin throw F46.
Sundar Singh Gurjar won the bronze medal in men’s javelin throw F46.
Yogesh Kathuniya won the silver medal in men’s discus throw F56.
Sumit Antil won the gold medal in men’s javelin throw F64.
