NEW DELHI: Indian discus thrower Yogesh Kathuniya secured a silver medal in the men’s F-56 discus throw at the Paris Paralympics, marking his second consecutive Paralympic silver.
Despite achieving a season-best throw of 42.22m, the 27-year-old athlete expressed disappointment, emphasizing his desire to improve upon his string of second-place finishes in major competitions.
“Event was okay, I got a silver. I will work harder to change the colour of the medal. For some time, I’m winning silver only be it Tokyo (Paralympics) or today, World Championships or Asian Games..everywhere I’m winning silver. Gaadi atak gayi hai (I’m stuck on silver). I think I need to work harder. Now I want gold,” Kathuniya said, as quoted by PTI.
This silver medal marks Kathuniya’s fifth consecutive second-place finish in major tournaments since the Tokyo Paralympics in 2021.
He secured silver medals at both the 2023 and 2024 World Championships, as well as the Asian Para Games in 2022.
While acknowledging his family’s joy and appreciating his coach’s support, Kathuniya candidly admitted that his performance fell short of his personal expectations.
“Today was not my day, my performance is consistent but today I don’t feel that happy. My family will be happy, they must be celebrating. My coach has helped me a lot. I did very well in training but unfortunately, I wasn’t able to replicate it today,” he added.
Notably, his Paralympic throw was significantly lower than his personal best of 48m, achieved at the Indian Open, a non-World Para Athletics event.
Kathuniya’s journey to this point is marked by resilience. Diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome, a rare autoimmune disorder, he faced the prospect of being wheelchair-bound.
However, his mother’s dedication to his recovery, learning physiotherapy to help him regain muscle strength, played a pivotal role in his return to walking and athletic pursuits.
Despite his recent successes, Kathuniya remains focused on achieving the top spot on the podium.
He remains determined to channel his disappointment into motivation, vowing to intensify his training and strive for gold in upcoming competitions.
Despite achieving a season-best throw of 42.22m, the 27-year-old athlete expressed disappointment, emphasizing his desire to improve upon his string of second-place finishes in major competitions.
“Event was okay, I got a silver. I will work harder to change the colour of the medal. For some time, I’m winning silver only be it Tokyo (Paralympics) or today, World Championships or Asian Games..everywhere I’m winning silver. Gaadi atak gayi hai (I’m stuck on silver). I think I need to work harder. Now I want gold,” Kathuniya said, as quoted by PTI.
This silver medal marks Kathuniya’s fifth consecutive second-place finish in major tournaments since the Tokyo Paralympics in 2021.
He secured silver medals at both the 2023 and 2024 World Championships, as well as the Asian Para Games in 2022.
While acknowledging his family’s joy and appreciating his coach’s support, Kathuniya candidly admitted that his performance fell short of his personal expectations.
“Today was not my day, my performance is consistent but today I don’t feel that happy. My family will be happy, they must be celebrating. My coach has helped me a lot. I did very well in training but unfortunately, I wasn’t able to replicate it today,” he added.
Notably, his Paralympic throw was significantly lower than his personal best of 48m, achieved at the Indian Open, a non-World Para Athletics event.
Kathuniya’s journey to this point is marked by resilience. Diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome, a rare autoimmune disorder, he faced the prospect of being wheelchair-bound.
However, his mother’s dedication to his recovery, learning physiotherapy to help him regain muscle strength, played a pivotal role in his return to walking and athletic pursuits.
Despite his recent successes, Kathuniya remains focused on achieving the top spot on the podium.
He remains determined to channel his disappointment into motivation, vowing to intensify his training and strive for gold in upcoming competitions.