National Para Athletics Championships Yogesh Kathuniya: Records, Achievements, Milestones

Yogesh Kathuniya recorded a best distance of 44.38m at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics to clinch a Silver medal last year. The 25-year-old has a rare neurological disorder, Guillain-Barre syndrome and has been on a wheelchair since 2006. He is also a a B. Com graduate from New Delhi’s Kirorimal College and came into the sport after rigorous physiotherapy from his mother.

In 2017, he took up to sports after Sachin Yadav, his college’s General Secretary motivated him to give it a shot. Since then, he has impressed hugely creating a world record in F56 category in his first ever international competition in 2018 at the Para-athletics Grand Prix in Berlin with a distance of 45.18m. In his category, athletes have full arm and trunk muscle power, with pelvic stability provided to some.

National Para Athletics Championships Yogesh Kathuniya: Records and Achievements

National Para Athletics Championships Yogesh Kathuniya: Achievements

In 2021 November, Kathuniya was awarded the Arjuna Award for his silver medal by the President of India Ram Nath Kovind.