New Delhi: The top of the High Jumper Mariyappan ThangaveLu on Friday named the flag bearer of the Indian contingent in Tokyo Paralympics, which began on August 24.
ThangaveLu, who defended the T-42 gold he had won in 2016 Rio Paralympics for August 24 to September 5 Exhibitions in Tokyo, was picked for honor by the National Agency Executive Committee.
“Mariyappan ThangaveLu will be a bearer of flags from the Indian contingent in the Tokyo Paralympics.
The decision was taken at the Executive Committee meeting of the Indian Paralympics Committee (PCI),” Chairman of the Para-Athletics R Satyanarayana told PTI.
The 25-year-old ThangaveLu, who was awarded Khel Ratna, the country’s highest sports award, last year is one of the 24 athletes chosen by the Selection Committee for Tokyo Paralympics.
As many as 72 athletes, including 18 female players, participated in the selection test held here on June 29, 29 and 30.
India has been given 24 slots, including four female athletes, by the athletics of the world para.
ThangaveLu has won the high jump gold Rio Paralympics T-42 by cleaning 1.89m.
He qualified for Tokyo Paralympics after completing the third in the T-42 high jump in the 2019 Athletics Championship in Dubai.
ThangaveLu, who came from the Salem district in Tamil Nadu, suffered permanent disability at the age of five years when a bus destroyed his right foot under the knee.
He had to work as a newspaper Hawker to support his family and maintain his sports dream when he began his career.
The target is to win the two gold and create a world record in the show in Tokyo Paralympics by cleaning a sign of 2 meters.
“Gold and world record in Tokyo are my targets and I think I can achieve it,” he told PTI last year.
The current world record in the T-42 high jump stands at 1.96m.
In the T-42 category, athletes have one or more types of disorders that affect hip function and / or knees in one or both members of the body and with limited activity in the throw, jump and run competitive without prosthesis.