Mariyappan Thangavelu is an Indian Paralympic high jumper and coach, best known for representing India at the 2016 Summer Paralympic Games held in Rio de Janeiro and the 2020 Summer Paralympic Games held in Tokyo.
Contents
Wiki/Biography
Mariyappan Thangavelu was born on Wednesday, 28 June 1995 (age 28 years; as of 2023) in Periyavadagampatti village, Salem, Tamil Nadu. His zodiac sign is Aries. Mariyappan attended a local school in his village, and after completing his schooling, he joined AVS College of Arts and Science in Ramanligapuram, Tamil Nadu, to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration.
Physical Appearance
Height (Approx): 5′ 6″
Eye colour: black
Hair Color: Black
Family
parents and siblings
It was reported that Mariyappan’s father had abandoned the family long ago. His mother Saroja is a daily wage labourer. He has four brothers. His younger brother, Kumar, dropped out of college due to lack of funds, and his younger brother, Gopi, is in high school. He has an elder sister, Sudha, who is married.
Mariyappan’s mother, Saroja, and his brothers
livelihood
Mariyappan was born in a poor family, and when he was in school, he met with a tragic accident when a truck driver ran over his right leg, blocking his right leg. However, Mariyappan did not let his disability deter him and he completed his education. In school, Mariyappan liked playing volleyball, and then his physical education teacher at school suggested that he should try his luck in high jump. Mariyappan then started practicing high jump on huge loads of sand at a construction site. He competed in his first competitive competition at the age of 14 and placed second in the competition. This encouraged him to work harder and improve himself and in 2013, Indian high jump athlete coach Satyanarayana saw him at an event and decided to take him for training. Satyanarayana decided to take him to the Indian Sports Academy for Differently-Abled in Bengaluru and get him coaching. In 2016, Mariyappan competed at the Rio Paralympic Qualifiers at the IPC Grand Prix in Tunisia. He won the men’s high jump T-42 event with a jump of 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in). He qualified for the Paralympics and at the Rio Paralympics he won the gold medal in the men’s high jump T-42 event with a jump of 1.89 m (6 ft 1 in). In November 2019, he competed at the 2019 World Para Athletics Championships and won a bronze medal in the men’s high jump T-63 event with a clearance of 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in). In 2018, Mariyappan was offered a job as a Group A post coach at the Sports Authority of India (SAI).
Mariyappan Thangavelu captured in mid-air during high jump competition
medal
- Gold medal in men’s high jump T-42 event at Rio Paralympics in 2016
- Bronze Medal in Men’s High Jump T-63 Event at 2019 World Para Athletics Championships
- Silver Medal in Men’s High Jump T-42 Category at the 2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo
award
- Arjuna Award in 2017
Mariyappan received the Arjuna Award from the President of India Ram Nath Kovind
- Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award in 2020
award
Mariyappan received a cash prize of Rs for his gold medal at the 2016 Rio Paralympics. 2 crores from the Government of Tamil Nadu and the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports gave him a cash prize of Rs. 75 lakhs. After hearing about his financial crisis, Sachin Tendulkar started a fund for Mariyappan and gave him Rs. 1.5 million. Yash Raj Films and Delhi Golf Club paid him Rs. Each will be given Rs 10 lakh for their spectacular victory at the Rio Paralympics.
Favorite
- Food: Chicken Soup and Homemade Chicken
car collection
Mariyappan owns a white BMW 3 Series GT.
Mariyappan with his BMW 3 Series GT car
Facts/General Knowledge
- In the early days, Mariyappan’s mother worked as a construction worker, but after his mother faced some health problems, Mariyappan took a monetary loan from a relative and helped him open a vegetable shop.
- Mariyappan received great support from his coach Satyanarayana, who took care of his expenses with the help of the Sports Authority of India (SAI). In an interview, Mariyappan said-
When he saw me in a national competition, he came and convinced my family and also made arrangements for me in college, and trained me in Bengaluru for about two years. He has been like a friend to me, supporting me every practice and every day.
- Mariyappan used part of all the prize money he received to buy a piece of land for paddy cultivation so that his family could get a better and stable source of income. He used a small part of the prize money to build a better house for his family and kept the remaining amount in the bank.
- In 2017, during an interview, Mariyappan explained how he was using his prize money to meet his expenses, and that he was in desperate need of a job to support his family. Mariyappan also appealed to the Tamil Nadu government for help, but no response came from the government.
- In October 2018, Mariyappan was the flag bearer during the opening ceremony of the 2018 Asian Para Games held in Jakarta.
Mariyappan Thangavelu during the flag hoisting ceremony in 2018
- At the 2020 Summer Paralympics, Mariyappan was competing against American para-athlete Sam Grewe in the final. Mariyappan tried to clear the height bar of 1.88 metres, but he failed to cross it. He cleared a bar of 1.86 meters and won a silver medal in the men’s high jump T-63 event. During an interview after the event he said-
The sock on my other foot (the right foot was bad) got wet and it became difficult to jump. I have covered a distance of 1.90 meters before. But rain spoiled the game.”
- In July 2021, Mariyappan was appointed as the flag bearer for India at the 2020 Summer Paralympics; However, he was isolated in his hotel room when someone close to him on the flight tested positive for COVID-19. Although Mariyappan tested negative, he was still asked to remain in the room as a precautionary measure.
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn