Devendra Jhajharia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Devendra Jhajharia

Devendra Jhajharia with his gold medal from the 2016 Summer Paralympics
Personal information
Nationality	Indian
Born	(1981-06-10) 10 June 1981 (age 44)
Sport
Country	India
Sport	Para-Athletics
Event(s)	F46 Javelin
Coached by	Sunil Tanwar
Achievements and titles
Paralympic finals	2004 2016 2020
Medal record Track and field (athletics) Representing  India Paralympic Games Gold 2004 Athens Javelin - F44/46 Gold 2016 Rio Javelin - F46 Silver 2020 Tokyo Javelin - F46 IPC World Championships Gold 2013 Lyon Javelin - F46 Silver 2015 Doha Javelin - F46 Asian Para Games Silver 2014 Incheon Javelin - F46

Devendra Jhajharia was born on June 10, 1981. He is an Indian Paralympic javelin thrower. He competes in events for athletes with certain physical impairments (F46 category).

Devendra is famous for being the first Indian Paralympic athlete to win two gold medals at the Paralympic Games. He won his first gold medal in javelin throw at the 2004 Summer Paralympics in Athens. This made him the second Indian to win a Paralympic gold.

At the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, he won another gold medal in the same event. He even broke his own world record! Devendra is now India's most successful Paralympic athlete. He won a silver medal at the 2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo, making it his third Paralympic medal. In 2024, he was chosen to be the president of the Paralympic Committee of India.

Early Life and Training

Devendra Jhajharia was born in Churu, Rajasthan. When he was eight years old, he had a serious accident. He touched a live electric wire while climbing a tree. Doctors had to remove his left hand to save his life.

Even after this, Devendra did not give up on his dreams. In 1997, a coach named R. D. Singh saw him playing sports at a school event. Singh became his coach and helped him a lot. Devendra has also been coached by Sunil Tanwar since 2015.

Amazing Sports Career

Devendra's journey in sports has been incredible.

• In 2002, he won a gold medal at the 8th FESPIC Games in South Korea.
• In 2004, he went to his first Paralympic Games in Athens. He set a new world record in javelin throw with a distance of 62.15 meters. This throw earned him his first Paralympic gold medal. He was only the second Indian to win a gold at the Paralympics.

He continued to achieve great things:

• In 2013, he won a gold medal at the 2013 IPC Athletics World Championships in Lyon, France.
• In 2014, he won a silver medal at the 2014 Asian Para Games in South Korea.
• In 2015, he won another silver medal at the 2015 IPC Athletics World Championships in Doha.
• In 2016, he won gold at the IPC Athletics Asia-Oceania Championship in Dubai.
• Later in 2016, at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, he broke his own world record again! He threw the javelin 63.97 meters and won his second Paralympic gold medal.
• On August 30, 2021, Devendra won a silver medal at the 2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo. This made him India's most decorated Paralympic athlete.

Personal Life

Devendra Jhajharia used to work for the Indian Railways. Now, he works for the Rajasthan Forest Department. His wife, Manju, was also a national-level kabaddi player. They have two children, a daughter named Jiya and a son named Kavyan.

Awards and Recognition

Devendra has received many important awards for his achievements:

• Arjuna Award (2004)
• Padma Shri (2012) - He was the first Paralympian to receive this honor.
• FICCI Para-Sportsperson of the Year (2014)
• Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna (2017)
• Padma Bhushan (2022)

Political Career

In March 2024, Devendra Jhajharia was chosen by the BJP to run for election. He was a candidate for the 2024 Indian general election from the Churu area in Rajasthan.

See also

In Spanish: Devendra Jhajharia para niños

• India at the Paralympics