Devendra Jhajharia

2021-07-01T12:03:13Z

223.223.128.127:

{{short description|Indian Paralympic javelin thrower}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=May 2018}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| headercolor = grey
| name = Devendra Jhajharia
| image = Devendra Jhajharia.jpg
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| caption = Devendra Jhajharia with his gold medal from the 2016 Summer Paralympics
| birth_name =
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| nationality = Indian
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| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1981|06|10|df=yes}}
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| country = {{IND}}
| sport = Athletics
| event = F46 Javelin
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| coach = R. D. Singh
| retired =
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| worlds =
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| paralympics = [[2004 Summer Paralympics|2004]]
| medaltemplates=
{{MedalSport | [[Track and field]] (athletics)}}
{{MedalCountry|{{IND}}}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Paralympic Games]]}}
{{MedalGold| [[2016 Summer Paralympics|2016 Rio]] | [[Athletics at the 2016 Summer Paralympics – Men's javelin throw F46|Javelin - F46]]}}
{{MedalGold| [[2004 Summer Paralympics|2004 Athens]] | [[Athletics at the 2004 Summer Paralympics – Men's javelin throw F42–46|Javelin - F44/46]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[IPC Athletics World Championships|IPC World Championships]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[2013 IPC Athletics World Championships|2013 Lyon]]|[[2013 IPC Athletics World Championships – Men's javelin throw|Javelin - F46]]}}
{{MedalSilver|[[2015 IPC Athletics World Championships|2015 Doha]]|[[2015 IPC Athletics World Championships – Men's javelin throw|Javelin - F46]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Asian Para Games]]}}
{{MedalSilver|[[2014 Asian Para Games|2014 Incheon]] | Javelin - F46}}
}}
'''Devendra Jhajharia''' (born 10 June 1981) is an [[India]]n [[Paralympic]] [[javelin throw]]er competing in F46 events. He is first Indian Paralympian to win two gold medals at the [[Paralympics]]. He won his first gold in the javelin throw at the [[2004 Summer Paralympics]] in [[Athens]], becoming only the second gold medalist at the Paralympics for his country.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://sportscafe.in/articles/sports/2016/sep/14/devendra-jhajharia-breaks-world-record-to-win-gold-at-paralympics|title=Paralympics 2016 {{!}} Devendra Jhajharia breaks World Record to win Gold at Paralympics|date=2016-09-14|access-date=2016-09-14}}</ref> At the [[2016 Summer Paralympics]] in [[Rio de Janeiro]], he won a second gold medal in the same event, bettering his previous record.<ref name="breaking">{{cite news|title=Paralympics: Javelin thrower Devendra Jhajharia wins gold by breaking world record
|url=http://www.newindianexpress.com/sport/Paralympics-Javelin-thrower-Devendra-Jhajharia-wins-gold-by-breaking-world-record/2016/09/14/article3620669.ece|access-date=13 September 2016|work=The New Indian Express|date=14 September 2016}}</ref> Devendra is currently being supported by the [[GoSports Foundation]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gosportsfoundation.in/|title=GoSports Foundation}}</ref> through the Para Champions Programme.

==Early life and background==
Devendra [[Jhajharia]] was born in 1981 and hails from the [[Churu District]] in [[Rajasthan]]. At the age of eight, climbing a tree he touched a live electric cable. He received medical attention but the doctors were forced to amputate his left hand.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ipc.infostradasports.com/asp/lib/TheASP.asp?pageid=8937&sportid=513&personid=1187810|title=Devendra|access-date=21 September 2013|publisher=infostradasports.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.indianexpress.com/oldStory/66104/ |date=9 March 2005|title=At awards night, Govt ignores Paralympic gold winner|first=Sandipan|last=Sharma|access-date=21 September 2013|publisher=indianexpress.com}}</ref> In 1997 he was spotted by Dronacharya Awardee coach [[R. D. Singh]] while competing at a school sports day, and from that point was coached by Singh. He gave credit to his personal coach [[R. D. Singh]] for 2004 Paralympic Gold Medal, saying: "He gives me a lot of advice and helps me during training."<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.sportskeeda.com/sports/indian-javelin-thrower-devendra-jhajharia-wins-silver-world-para-athletics-meet | title=Indian Javelin thrower Devendra Jhajharia wins silver medal at IPC Para-athletics meet | first=Suromitro | last=Basu | date=29 October 2015 | publisher=sportskeeda | access-date=13 May 2018 }}</ref><ref>http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/mumbai/sport/paralympic-gold-medallist-devendra-jhajharia-javelin-genius/article8456210.ece</ref>

==Career ==
In 2002 Jhajharia won the gold medal in the 8th FESPIC Games in [[South Korea]]. In 2004 Jhajharia qualified for his first Summer Paralaympic Games representing India at Athens. At the games he set a new world record with a distance of 62.15m eclipsing the old one of 59.77m. The throw gave him the gold medal and he became only the second gold medalist at the Paralympics for his country (India's first gold medal came from [[Murlikant Petkar]]).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/sports-news/OtherSports/Forgotten-hero-India-s-first-Paralympic-gold-medallist/Article1-917904.aspx|date=22 August 2012|title=Forgotten hero: India's first Paralympic gold medallist|first=B|last=Shrikant|access-date=21 September 2013|publisher=hindustantimes.com|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130925130445/http://www.hindustantimes.com/sports-news/OtherSports/Forgotten-hero-India-s-first-Paralympic-gold-medallist/Article1-917904.aspx|archive-date=25 September 2013}}</ref>

Further athletic success came in 2013 at the [[2013 IPC Athletics World Championships|IPC Athletics World Championships]] in Lyon, France when he took the gold medal in the F46 javelin throw. He followed this with a silver medal at the [[2014 Asian Para Games]] at Incheon in South Korea. At the [[2015 IPC Athletics World Championships]] in Doha, despite throwing 59.06, Jhajharia could only finish in second place, claiming silver behind China's [[Guo Chunliang]], who threw a championship record distance.

In 2016, he won a gold medal at the 2016 IPC Athletics Asia-Oceania Championship in Dubai. At the [[2016 Summer Paralympics]] in [[Rio de Janeiro]], he won the gold medal in the men's javelin throw F46 event, bettering his own 2004 record with a world-record throw of 63.97 metres.<ref name="breaking"/>

==Personal life==
A former [[Indian Railways]] employee, Jhajharia is currently employed with the [[Sports Authority of India]]. His wife, Manju, is a former nationally ranked [[kabaddi]] player; the couple have two children.<ref name="topped">{{cite news|title=Dad I topped, now it's your turn: Daughter told Jhajharia|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/more-sports/others/Dad-I-topped-now-its-your-turn-Daughter-told-Jhajharia/articleshow/54328463.cms|access-date=14 September 2016|work=The Times of India|date=14 September 2016}}</ref>

==Awards and recognition==
*[[Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna]] (2017)
*[[FICCI]] Para-Sportsperson of the Year (2014)<ref>{{cite web|title=FICCI announces the Winners of India Sports Awards for 2014|url=http://news.biharprabha.com/2014/02/ficci-announces-the-winners-of-india-sports-awards-for-2014/|work=IANS|publisher=news.biharprabha.com|access-date=14 February 2014}}</ref>
*[[Padma Shri]] (2012; first Paralympian to be so honoured).<ref name="Padma Awards">{{cite web |url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf |title=Padma Awards |publisher=Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India |date=2015 |access-date=21 July 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/6U68ulwpb?url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf |archive-date=15 November 2014 }}</ref>
*[[Arjuna Award]] (2004)

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{Padma Shri Award Recipients in Sports}}
{{Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Awardees}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jhajharia, Devendra}}
[[Category:Paralympic gold medalists for India]]
[[Category:Paralympic athletes of India]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Arjuna Award]]
[[Category:Athletes from Rajasthan]]
[[Category:Rajasthani people]]
[[Category:Indian male javelin throwers]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2004 Summer Paralympics]]
[[Category:People from Churu district]]
[[Category:1981 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2004 Summer Paralympics]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Shri in sports]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2016 Summer Paralympics]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2016 Summer Paralympics]]
[[Category:Paralympic medalists in athletics (track and field)]]

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Devendra Jhajharia