New Delhi: Ace Indian sprinter Deepthi Jeevanji clinched a bronze medal in the women’s 400m T20 final event at the Paris Paralympics on Tuesday, ensuring India’s medal tally continued to swell on a dull sixth day. This is India’s sixth track-and-field medal and the first of Day 6 in the ongoing marquee event. Making her debut at the Paralympics, Jeevanji clocked 55.82 seconds to secure a podium finish.
Ukraine’s Yuliia Shuliar won the gold medal with a timing of 55.16 seconds while world record holder Aysel Onder of Turkey settled for silver with a time of 55.23 seconds. For India, the medal count has now reached 16 as the 20-year-old Jeevanji brought India’s eighth bronze. Along with three golds and five silver medals, India sit 18th on the Paralympic medal table. The day was completely in contrast with the previous day when India logged seven podium finishes, including two golds.
Who is Deepthi Jeevanji?
Deepthi Jeevanji was born on September 27, 2003, in Kalleda village of Warangal district, Telangana to farm labourers. She was diagnosed with intellectual impairment after her school PET teacher spotted her at a school-level athletics meet. As she grew up, her parents were subjected to taunts by natives of her village due to her mental disability, a reason villagers said she wouldn’t get married.
She turned the tides on that fact, making the villagers after winning a gold at last year’s Asian Para Games and breaking the world record at the Para World Championships in May this year, clinching another gold. The youngster also received assistance from national badminton coach Pullela Gopichand after she started her training with her formative coach Nagpuri Ramesh.
Jeevanji competes in the T20 category is meant for athletes who have intellectual impairment.
More to follow…
Deepthi Jeevanji won India’s eighth bronze medal at the Paris Paralympics 2024 while competing in the women’s 400m T20 final event on Tuesday. Here’s a look at her journey to the grand stage. Other Sports Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
