WAPC 2025: From losing his hand to turning heads, Rinku comes a long way with extraordinary gold

New Delhi, Sep 29 (IANS) India para-athlete Rinku made history for Indian javelin, winning a gold medal with a meet record to boot in the men's F46 event in the 2025 World Para Athletics Championships at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here on Monday. Rinku led a 1-2 for the hosts as compatriot Sundar Singh Gurjar claimed the silver medal.

The night could have been even better for the hosts if Ajeet Singh had had a good day. Unfortunately, he finished fourth.

In the lead-up to the event, there were signs it was going to be an unforgettable event, particularly for Rinku, who set a new championship record with 66.37 on his fourth throw. His family and friends were in attendance, part of a strong, raucous crowd. Things were indeed building up to all intents and purposes.

“I’m so thankful to my supporters and my family. Their presence encouraged me a great deal. It was my day, everything went my way, from conditions to everything else,” Rinku enthused after his gold.

Many years ago, when Rinku lost his arm in a farming equipment accident, his family would not have thought there would be a day when he would be an international star, the cynosure of all eyes.

“That was a dark day for us. When he lost his arm, the whole village -- Dhamar, close to Rohtak in Haryana -- fell into a sad silence for weeks. For us, it was the end of the world, but life surprises you when you see where he has reached today,” Wazir Singh Hooda, Rinku’s uncle, said on Monday.

Rinku’s father turned out to be a shy person. In fact, the entire family was like that. It was only Hooda who agreed to share his thoughts on his nephew. “After the unfortunate accident, he skimmed stones in a lake in front of our house in his free time, and that made us send him to the Rohtak Stadium when he was 9,” he reminisced.

When asked if it had ever occurred to him what would have happened if that unfortunate day hadn’t come to pass. Hooda reflected for a while before he replied: “Who knows what would have happened! He could have been better than Neeraj Chopra, a bigger star. It could have also been the other way around. Maybe he wouldn’t have been the star that he is today. We are grateful to god for all he has achieved as an athlete.”

Wazir Singh also revealed that the entire village had been informed on phone that Rinku would be in action and that they were requested to throng the JLN stadium. It is a 3-hour ride to the stadium, and all those who managed to make it, as it turned out, experienced something quite out of the ordinary. Something they will never forget.

--IANS

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