Rising Above 'Bauna' Taunts, How Navdeep Singh Made History With Paralympics Gold

Javelin thrower Navdeep Singh clinched a gold medal in the F41 classification at Paris Paralympics on Saturday. For India, it was a 7th gold at Paris 2024 and 16th in its Paralympic history, but for Navdeep, the top honour was way more than that. Having suffered from dwarfism, Navdeep endured not just the usual rigours of training but cruel taunts from onlookers while growing up in his village in Haryana's Panipat district. And his gold medal on Saturday was a testimony to his resilience and determination. It would not only inspire him but a lot of other specially-abled people too, who went through a similar fate.

In his village, the taunts of "Bauna (dwarf)" was quite common for Navdeep, who is four feet four inches tall.

"Humein bhi utna darja milna chahiye, maine bhi desh ka naam roshan kiya hai (We deserve the same respect, I too have brought glory to the country," Navdeep said, flashing his gold medal in a video shared by the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI).

"My aim is to educate society that we also exist in this world and nobody should make fun of us, which is often the case. We also can make our country proud.

"There were a lot of hurdles initially but I kept at it and strengthened myself, which led to good results. This is the biggest moment of my life, I feel proud to sign off with a gold medal," he added.

Navdeep first won a silver which was later upgraded to gold after initial winner Iran's Sadegh Beit Sayah was disqualified for repeatedly displaying an objectionable flag following a dramatic men's javelin throw final. Notably, Navdeep had missed the medal at Tokyo as he had finished at the 4th position.

The 23-year-old Indian javelin thrower won an unparalleled gold in the F41 classification at the Paris Paralympic Games.

It was a defining moment for Navdeep who silenced all his doubters.

Born prematurely in 2000, Navdeep's struggles began from the start.

It wasn't until he was two years old that his parents realised their son had dwarfism, setting the stage for a life filled with both struggles and triumphs.

His father, Dalbir Singh, a national-level wrestler, kept motivating him and saw his son as an extension of his own aspirations.

Navdeep started his athletic journey at the age of 10, dabbling in wrestling and sprinting before finding his true calling in javelin throw after being inspired by national icon Neeraj Chopra.

Navdeep made his international debut at the Asian Youth Para Games, clinching his first gold medal and setting the stage for a remarkable career.

He continued to train tirelessly at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) centres in Gandhinagar and Bangalore, honing his skills and refining his technique.

At the Fazza International Championship in Dubai in 2021, he secured another gold medal.

Navdeep also spent years away from home, training relentlessly with limited resources, often making do with basic meals and cooking alongside his roommate and friend Sumit Antil, who smashed his own record to win javelin gold in F64 category.

Amid high expectations, Navdeep also faced setbacks, finishing fourth at the Tokyo Paralympics three years ago and Asian Para Games last year. He finished with a bronze at the World Para Athletics Championship in 2024, and faced criticism.

Making a comeback from all of that, Navdeep bagged a gold in Paris to inspire not only himself but many athltes like him.

(With PTI Inputs)