Yogesh Kathuniya is an Indian Paralympic athlete who is best known for representing India at the 2020 Summer Paralympics. He won a silver medal in the men’s discus throw F56 event.
Contents
Wiki/Biography
Yogesh Kathuniya was born on Monday, 3 March 1997 (age 24 years; as in 2021) in Delhi, India. His zodiac sign is Pisces. Yogesh completed his schooling from Army Public School, Chandigarh and then he went to Kirori Mal College, Delhi University to pursue a bachelor’s degree in commerce. Yogesh was eight years old when his life changed completely. He suffered a paralytic stroke and upon further investigation it was discovered that he was suffering from a rare disorder called Guillain-Barré syndrome. Additionally, he was also diagnosed with quadriparesis, which required him to use a wheelchair as he had lost muscle strength in his legs.
Physical Appearance
Height (approx): 6′ 2″
Hair Color: Black
Eye colour: black
Family
Yogesh’s father’s name is Gyanchand Kathunia and he is a retired Indian Army personnel. His mother’s name is Meena Devi. Yogesh has an elder sister who is married.
Yogesh Kathunia with his family
Guillain-Barré syndrome
After Yogesh was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome and a rare disorder called quadriparesis, he was asked to use a wheelchair, and doctors told his parents that there was no scope for improvement. At school, fellow students made fun of Yogesh’s disability, and he lost interest in participating in sports activities. However, his mother was dedicated to helping Yogesh regain his muscle strength, and she learned physiotherapy to help Yogesh. He spent three years on his physiotherapy and finally Yogesh regained his muscle strength and got rid of the wheelchair. During an interview his mother said-
Apart from army hospitals, I used to go to places like Agra, Meerut and Jaipur, when someone asked me to get Yogesh massaged by a local masseur. I remember once I spent more than 20 days at a famous massage specialist in a village on the Jaipur-Jodhpur highway in the scorching heat of June. I also learned physiotherapy and when Yogesh recovered, the same doctors at the base hospital told me it was a miracle.
Childhood photo of Yogesh Kathuniya (middle) with his friends
In 2017, Yogesh joined Kirori Mal College, Delhi University, where he made some new friends. Yogesh met college team athlete and student union general secretary Sachin Yadav. Yogesh said in an interview-
Sachin Yadav was the general secretary of the student union at Kirori Mal College, New Delhi, where I was studying B.Com. He encouraged me to take up a sport and motivated me by showing videos of para-athletes. Somehow I liked discus throw and decided to try it.”
livelihood
After joining college in 2017, Yogesh started showing interest in sports when his friends inspired him to participate in sports. Yogesh’s strong physique and interest in sports were noticed by his college coaches and Yogesh started practicing and participating in college events and games. Soon, he started training at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Delhi under the guidance of renowned national level coach Naval Singh. In 2018, Yogesh made his international debut with the 2018 World Para Athletics European Championships in Berlin. He could not achieve a podium finish, but he created a world record by throwing the disc 45.18 meters. In 2019, she won a bronze medal at the 2019 World Para Athletics Championships in Dubai. This bronze medal win helped him save a place for the 2020 Summer Paralympics. Yogesh won the silver medal in discus throw by throwing the disc to a distance of 44.38 meters.
Yogesh Kathuniya posing with a silver medal at the 2020 Summer Paralympics
medal
- Won a bronze medal in the F56 men’s discus throw event at the 2019 World Para Athletics Championships in Dubai
- Won a silver medal in the F56 men’s discus throw event at the 2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo
Facts/General Knowledge
- Following her victory at the 2020 Summer Paralympics, her mother spoke to the media and talked about the difficulties she faced when she was diagnosed with the syndrome. He said-
While the doctors at the Command Hospital in Chandimandir said that they would not be able to see Yogesh walk in future, I did not believe it. For more than two years, I used to take him on my scooter, tied with a cloth, for physiotherapy sessions at the Command Hospital and PGIMER. Seeing Yogesh strapped to a wheelchair and winning the silver medal in Tokyo reminded me of all those difficult days. Silver is more valuable to us than gold.”
- Yogesh is a close friend of Asian medalist Neeraj Yadav, who helped Yogesh in his initial days. With the help of his other friends and Neeraj Yadav, Yogesh was able to start his training at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. His family also took a small loan from his friends and Neeraj Yadav to sponsor his first foreign trip for the competition. During an interview, Yogesh’s mother said-
Friends like Neeraj helped Yogesh and this is also his silver medal.”
- Before participating in the 2020 Summer Paralympics, Yogesh was at home due to the nationwide COVID-19 lockdown and his weight increased by more than 15 kg during this lockdown. This affected Yogesh’s performance in the field. In 2020, Naval Singh tested positive for the COVID-19 virus, and unfortunately, he tested positive again in May 2021. To continue his training, Yogesh was sent to Sonipat to train with 2018 Asian Games silver medalist Virendra Dhankhar.
Yogesh Kathunia during discus throw practice
- Yogesh loves sweet dishes and his favorite sweet is Ras Malai. During an interview his mother said-
Even before he got sick, he could eat 4-5 plates of Ras Malai and this is still his hobby (Before his illness, he could eat 4-5 plates of Ras Malai, and it is still the same). But we never complained and he can eat as much Ras Malai as he can from the famous sweet shops of Ballabhgarh on his return.”
- Yogesh won gold medal in shot put at the Open Para Athletics Championships in Bengaluru in 2018.
Yogesh Kathuniya’s Instagram post about gold medal
- Yogesh has a YouTube channel named ‘Bicchu Don Gaming’, which he started during the COVID-19 lockdown of 2020. Yogesh posts gameplay of the famous battle royale mobile game PUBG on his channel. He also posts vlogs of his training sessions and his daily routine on the channel.
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn