Khelo India para games: Tamil Nadu’s gold medal-winning blade runner Rajesh K eyes Para Nationals in Goa

Life has been cruel for Tamil Nadu blade runner Rajesh K since he was about 10 months old, but he has faced every challenge with utmost conviction and is an inspiration for people back home.

Participating in the first-ever Khelo India Para Games, Rajesh won the 200m gold medal in the T64 category and finished fifth in the long jump.

His feat was beamed live on a big screen at his Alma Mater Annai Vailankanni College in Tambaram, Tamil Nadu, thousands of kilometres away because the college administration wanted every student to take inspiration from Rajesh’s courageous story.

Born normal, Rajesh had an infection in his legs and had to be amputated after poison spread in his legs following a syringe needle break.

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Wearing prosthetics since he was 10 months, Rajesh had another personal setback, this time when he was in class VII, when his parents got separated.

Since then he and his twin brother were raised by his grandfather who drives an autorickshaw.

Rajesh got the inspiration by watching Rio Paralympics gold medalist Mariyappan

Thangavelu as he also wants to represent the country in the quadrennial showpiece.

“I have been doing blade running for the last five or six years. I started my journey in 2018 but in the year 2016, I was inspired by watching Mariyappan Thangavelu winning the T42 category high jump gold medal on television at the Rio Paralympics and since then I had decided that I too want to become a Paralympian,” Rajesh said in a release.

Rajesh got introduced to blade running on the advice of his friend who made him connect with Tamil Nadu’s first wheelchair player Vijay.

“When I met him at Nehru Stadium, he advised me to take up blade running. I started practising in 2018 and played Nationals twice. I won the bronze medal in the 21st Para Nationals held in Pune in March 2023. After this, the Tamil Nadu government gave me a new blade, which cost Rs 7.50 lakh,” he recalled.

Rajesh further said his aim is to participate in Paralympics and Para Asian Games.

“I want to win a medal for the country in Paralympic and Para Asian Games. Right now I am preparing for the Para Nationals to be held in Goa from January 9-15.

“There is less cold there, so my performance will be better. After this I want to prepare for the Grand Prix to be held in Dubai in February 2024,” he said.

Rajesh currently trains under the supervision of Nitin Choudhary at the SAl Center in Gandhinagar.