On Monday, September 2, 2024, Yogesh Kathuniya made history at the Paralympic Games in Paris by securing a silver medal in the Para Discus Throw F56 event, held at Stade de France – Seat DT/Club. Kathuniya achieved a distance of 42.22 meters, finishing second behind Brazil’s Claudiney Batista dos Santos, who set a new Paralympic record with a throw of 46.86 meters.
This marks Kathuniya’s second consecutive silver medal in the event. He also claimed the silver at the Tokyo Paralympics and matched this performance in Paris with his season-best throw. The Bahadurgarh-born athlete, son of Indian Army soldier Gyanchand Kathuniya and his wife Meena Devi, continues to showcase his remarkable talent.
Yogesh Kathuniya’s journey to this achievement is particularly inspiring. At the age of nine, he was diagnosed with Guillain–Barré syndrome (GBS), a neurological disorder that impairs the peripheral nervous system, leading to muscle weakness and loss of sensation in limbs. Despite these challenges, Kathuniya managed to regain muscle strength and walk again by age 12, thanks to his mother, who learned physiotherapy to support his recovery.
In 2016, Kathuniya’s interest in para sports was ignited by Sachin Yadav, General Secretary of the students’ union at Kirori Mal College. Since then, Kathuniya’s career has flourished.
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Kathuniya set a world record at the 2018 World Para Athletics European Championships in Berlin with a throw of 45.18 meters. He also won a bronze medal at the World Para Athletics Championships in Dubai in 2019. His most notable achievements include the silver medal at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics and the Arjuna Award, presented to him by President Ram Nath Kovind in November 2021.
In addition to his Paralympic silver medals, Kathuniya has earned two World Championship silver medals, one in 2023 and another in 2024.
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