Navdeep Singh Shares His Journey with PM Modi After Winning Gold at Paris Paralympics
New Delhi, India – During a recent meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Paris Paralympic gold medalist Navdeep Singh talked about his experiences and the challenges he faced during his second Paralympic participation. Navdeep admitted to feeling nervous at the start of the competition but credited his senior teammates for their support and motivation.
Navdeep said, “This was my second Paralympic participation. I was very nervous, but all the senior athletes motivated me. I talked to them and gained experience, and by the end, I was absolutely relaxed ahead of my game.” The support from his peers helped him perform at his best, leading to his gold medal victory in the men’s javelin F41 event.
During his meeting with PM Modi, Navdeep presented the Prime Minister with a cap and asked him to sign the left side of his jacket, which is his throwing arm. PM Modi agreed and signed an autograph on his left arm. Navdeep’s silver medal was upgraded to gold after the initial winner, Sadegh Beit Sayah from Iran, was disqualified. Navdeep had initially finished second with a personal-best throw of 47.32m, while Sadegh had a Paralympic record of 47.64m before his disqualification.
Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports Raksha Nikhil Khadse, and Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) president Devendra Jhajharia were also present during the meeting. PM Modi interacted with other Paralympians who represented India in the recently concluded para multi-sport event.
Paralympic gold medallist Avani Lekhara gifted the Prime Minister a signed Indian jersey. The Indian team concluded its Paralympics campaign in Paris with a record haul of 29 medals, including seven golds, nine silvers, and 13 bronzes. This 29-medal tally is the highest ever for India in the history of the Paralympics, surpassing the previous record of 19 medals at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics. India finished the event in 18th position.
India achieved several milestones at the Paralympic Games. Para-shooter Avani Lekhara became the first Indian woman to win two Paralympic gold medals, defending her women’s 10m air rifle standing SH1 shooting title with a world record score of 249.7 points. Harvinder Singh made history by winning India’s first-ever gold medal in para-archery at the Paralympics and was named flagbearer for India at the closing ceremony alongside Preeti Pal.
Doubts Revealed
Navdeep Singh -: Navdeep Singh is an athlete from India who competes in sports for people with disabilities. He recently won a gold medal at the Paris Paralympics.
Paris Paralympics -: The Paris Paralympics is a major international sports event where athletes with disabilities from around the world compete. It was held in Paris, France.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi -: Narendra Modi is the Prime Minister of India, which means he is the head of the government in India.
Senior teammates -: Senior teammates are older or more experienced members of a sports team who often help and guide the younger or less experienced players.
Disqualification -: Disqualification means that an athlete is not allowed to continue in the competition, often because they broke a rule.
Sadegh Beit Sayah -: Sadegh Beit Sayah is an athlete from Iran who was disqualified, which led to Navdeep Singh’s silver medal being upgraded to gold.
Dignitaries -: Dignitaries are important people, often from the government or other official organizations, who attend special events.
Tokyo 2020 -: Tokyo 2020 refers to the Paralympic Games that were held in Tokyo, Japan, in the year 2021 due to a delay caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
