Prime Minister Narendra Modi appeared to thoroughly enjoy his meeting with India's Paris Paralympics heroes. On Thursday, September 12, PM Modi hosted the Paralympians at his residence in New Delhi, congratulating them on their historic achievements at the Games. During a heartwarming interaction with javelin gold medalist Navdeep Singh, the Prime Minister sat on the floor to ensure that the Delhi para-athlete could comfortably place the gifted cap on his head.
PM Modi and Navdeep were at their candid best during the meeting. In a video shared by the Prime Minister on Instagram, he can be seen jokingly asking the javelin star about his expletive-laden roar during the final of the javelin F41 event at the Paralympics. F41 is for field athletes with short stature.
Navdeep Singh won India's seventh gold medal at the Games with a new personal best of 47.32 metre-throw. The youngster from Delhi was unable to control his emotions as he pushed himself on after sending the spear into the night sky in Paris with his left hand.
PM Modi joked with Navdeep, asking him if he felt taller when the Prime Minister sat on the floor to accept the special gift from the para-athlete.
"Lag raha na tum mujhse bade ho na? (Do you teel taller than me now?)," PM Modi asked.
Navdeep also requested Modi to sign an autograph for him on his throwing arm. The Prime Minister highlighted that like him, Navdeep was also a left-hander.
Navdeep recalled he had promised PM Modi that he would win a gold medal at the Games and he fullfielld the promise, bringing glory to the nation.
NAVDEEP'S SPIRITED JOURNEY
Despite facing numerous challenges, including a physical disability that left him standing at just 4 feet 4 inches tall, Navdeep's resolve to excel in sports remained unshaken.
Navdeep's journey began in 2016, inspired by Olympic gold medalist Neeraj Chopra. Initially drawn to wrestling, following in the footsteps of his father, Dalbir Singh, a national-level wrestler, Navdeep's path shifted towards para-javelin throw after watching the inspiring performance of para-athlete Sandeep Chaudhary. Under Chaudhary's mentorship, Navdeep honed his skills and won a gold medal at the 2017 Asian Youth Para Games in Dubai, marking the start of his successful career.
At the 2024 Paris Paralympics, Navdeep clinched the top spot with a personal best throw of 47.32 meters, surpassing the previous Paralympic record held by China's Pengxiang Sun from Tokyo 2021. Despite initially finishing second behind Iran's Beit Sadegh, who threw 47.64 meters, Sadegh was disqualified for unsporting conduct, and Navdeep's silver medal was upgraded to gold.
