Big B, Others Congratulate India’s Paralympics Gold, Bronze Win On Twitter

September 11 (ANI): National carriers Air India on Sunday facilitated Paralympians Mariyappan Thangavelu and Varun Singh Bhati who won gold and bronze medal respectively for India at Rio, by giving them two business class tickets. Bronze medal victor Bhati was diagnosed with polio which led to a deformity in his legs but he still managed to jump to his best 1.86m and grab a medal for India.

The event witnessed huge competition as six out of the 12 para athletes cleared the 1.74m mark in their first eight attempts.

Thangavelu’s gold was a result of the 1.89 metre jump, where has Bhati registered a 1.86 metre jump, also his personal best. However India’s Sharad Kumar failed to perform as per the expectations. The only face visible on the site under the standings list of men’s high jump is of Sam Grewe, the USA paralympian who won the Silver.

Mariyappan, who cleared 1.78m in a Grand Prix in March this year to qualify for the Paralympics, had been confident of winning gold in Rio. Bhati racked up an impressive 1.86 m and came third. Varun jumped 1.86 metres to be ranked third.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress President Sonia Gandhi took to social media platform Twitter to congratulate Thangavelu and Bhati on Saturday.

India bagged its first gold medal today in the Paralympics 2016, being held at Rio de Janeiro.

Mariyappan Thangavelu won India’s first gold medal at the Rio Paralympics.

As per the declaration of Govt. of India, Mariyappan Thangavelu will receive an amount of Rs.75 lakhs and Varun Singh Bhati will receive an amount of Rs.30 lakhs as their reward money. Find us on Facebook too!