Have been training without a coach, says para-athlete Kathuniya
It's a silver worth its weight in gold for Indian discus thrower Yogesh Kathuniya, who trained for the Tokyo Paralympics without a coach and is quite proud to have finished on the podium without any tangible guidance for over one year now. The 24-year-old sent the disc to the best distance of 44.38m in his sixth and last attempt to clinch the silver.
I am motivated to get the gold at Paris: Kathuniya
"That was amazing. Winning the silver has given me so much more motivation to get the gold medal at Paris 2024," he said in the mixed zone. Kathuniya said that preparing for the Games was hard for him as lockdowns ensured that facilities were closed for a major part of the last two years.
Preparations have been tough amid pandemic: Kathuniya
"In the last 18 months, the preparations have been very tough. In India there was a six-month lockdown so every stadium was closed," he said. "When I could return to the stadium on a daily basis I had to practice by myself. I couldn't have a coach then and I am still training without a coach," he added.
He suffered a paralytic attack at the age of eight
Kathuniya suffered a paralytic attack at the age of eight which left him with coordination impairments in his limbs. In the F56 classification, athletes have full arm and trunk muscle power. Pelvic stability is provided by some to full ability to press the knees together.
I was just one meter away from gold medal: Kathuniya
Kathuniya said he would work harder to finish on top the next time. "I was just one meter away from the gold medal here, but in Paris, I will want to break the world record. Today was not my day as I was fully prepared to break the world record here, but that was a barrier I just could not break today," he said.
He has trained under Satyapal Singh, Naval Singh
It was during his time at the KMC that his potential was noticed by several coaches and he soon came under the tutelage of Satyapal Singh at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. A few years later, he came under the guidance of coach Naval Singh.
He won bronze in 2019 World Para Athletics Championships
Notably, he won a bronze medal in the 2019 World Para Athletics Championships in Dubai with a best throw of 42.51m which also booked him a Tokyo berth. He also created a world record in the F36 category in his first ever international competition in 2018 at the Para-athletics Grand Prix in Berlin.
