Rio de Janeiro: Mariyappan Thangavelu became only the third Indian ever to clinch a Paralympic gold, while Varun Bhati secured a bronze as the duo scripted history for the country in the men's T42 high jump event of the ongoing Rio Games here.
The 21-year-old Thangavelu, who was merely a five-year-old when his right leg was crushed by a speeding bus while he was on his way to school, joined Murlikant Petkar (1972, swimming) and Devendra Jhajharia (2004, javelin throw) in the Indian Paralympics gold club.
Thangavelu, who hails from Tamil Nadu, won the yellow metal with his best jump of 1.89m, leaving behind world champion Sam Grewe of the USA who registered 1.86m.
Bhati's best effort was also 1.86m but he had to settle for the bronze medal on count-back, making it the first instance of two Indians finishing on the podium in the same event of a Paralympic Games.
The T-42 classification is for athletes with lower limb deficiency, leg length difference, impaired muscle power or impaired range of movement.
In the same event, there was disappointment for another Indian athlete, Sharad Kumar, who failed to finish on the podium.
Kumar had led the pack at one stage after clearing 1.55m and 1.60m, but his best jump was only 1.77m which placed him at the sixth position overall.
The event witnessed massive competition as six out of the 12 para athletes cleared the 1.74m mark in their first eight attempts.
In his 10th attempt, Thangavelu jumped 1.77m successfully, along with three others - Poland's Lukasz Mamczarz, China's Zhiqiang Zhing and countrymate Kumar.
In the later stages, with the contest being reduced to only three competitors, Bhati set the tone with a jump of 1.83m mark along with Thangavelu.
However, just when it looked like India would fetch a gold and a silver, the American cleared 1.86m to grab the top spot. But the Indians also equalled the height to make it even. Eventually, in a nail-biting finale, Thangavelu grabbed the top honours by finishing with a jump of 1.89m.
From Prime Minister Narendra Modi to India's lone individual Olympic gold-medallist Abhinav Bindra, congratulatory messages poured in from all corners for Thangavelu and Bhati.
"India is elated! Congratulations to Mariyappan Thangavelu on winning a gold & Varun Singh Bhati for the bronze at the #Paralympics," PM Modi tweeted.
Under the sports ministry's Cash Award Scheme, Mariyappan will get Rs 75 lakh and Bhati will be presented Rs 30 lakh for their feat. The prize money is at par with the medal winners from last month's Olympic Games as was announced by the ministry before the Games.
Tamil Nadu chief minister J. Jayalalithaa has announced a cash prize of Rs. 2 crore for Thangavelu. "I am very happy to inform you that I have decided that the government of Tamil Nadu will award you a cash prize of Rs.2 crore," she said in her congratulatory letter to Mariyappan.
"I understand that this is the first time an Indian has won a gold medal in the high jump event in the Paralympics," she said. "By leaping over a height of 1.89 metres, you have leapt into history and done both the nation and the state of Tamil Nadu proud," she further wrote in her letter. (PTI)
