Greater Noida and Erode are worlds apart in every way. So are Varun Singh Bhati and Thangavelu Mariyappan. The two athletes, however, are brought together by their ability to overcome their physical challenges, and the Paralympics at Rio last year saw the latter take gold and Bhati bronze in the high jump.
It was only the second time that India was winning two medals in the same event at the quadrennial competition — the previous instance being Bhimrao Kesarkar and Joginder Singh Bedi in javelin in 1984.
No wonder then that Mariyappan and Bhati have become stars in their own right.
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“It is a good feeling now. Earlier, no one knew who Mariyappan was, now everyone back home in my neighbourhood treats me with respect. It’s a good feeling,” said the 22-year-old.
“But there is a slight sadness too. Even my friends now talk to me with some respect, which is not a good feeling. I wish they go back to being as they were before; the formalities irritate me.”
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A man of few words, the shy Mariyappan is the first para-athlete from Tamil Nadu to get the Arjuna Award. With a series of successes at the school-level until then, he quit training after failing to make the Olympics cut in 2012, only to be dragged back in 2015 by coach Satyanarayana. “He convinced me and my mother to start again, and promised I would win a medal at Rio. It happened,” he said.
Mariyappan is now building a house at the same place where his mother used to sell fruits for a living.
Bhati, also 22, is a study in contrast. Assured and confident with a supportive family and school, he is nonchalant about his award.
“The Sports Minister had said last year that all medallists will get Khel Ratnas, but I am happy with this. You can get a Khel Ratna after the Arjuna, but not vice versa. Also, it’s better to go one step at a time. Now, this will give me extra motivation to push myself to get that gold that I missed and perform even better,” Bhati said.
The immediate concern for both is the Asian Games next year, and the ultimate aim is Tokyo 2020.
While Mariyappan hopes to set a new world record by crossing the 2.1m mark, Bhati wants a medal upgrade.