Mariyappan Thangavelu is an Indian Paralympic high jumper and coach, best known for representing India at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro and the 2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo.
Wiki/Biography
Mariyappan Thangavelu was born on Wednesday, June 28, 1995, in Periavadagampatti village, Salem, Tamil Nadu (age 28; as of 2023). His zodiac sign is Aries. Mariyappan studied in a local school in his village and after completing his education, he enrolled in AVS College of Arts and Science at Ramaniligapuram in Tamil Nadu for Bachelor of Business Administration.
appearance
Height (approximately): 5′6″
Eye color: black
Hair color: black
family
Parents and siblings
Maria Pan’s father reportedly abandoned the family at an early age. His mother Saroja is a daily wage earner. He has four brothers. His younger brother Kumar dropped out of school due to lack of funds and younger brother Gopi is in high school. He has a married sister Sudha.
Mariyappan’s mother Saroja and his brother
Profession
Mariyappan was born into a poor family, and while he was in school, he encountered a tragic accident in which a truck driver ran over his right leg, causing it to become stunted. However, Maria Pan did not let his disability hold him back and he completed his education. At school, Maria Pan enjoyed playing volleyball, then his physical education teacher at school suggested that he should try his luck in the high jump. Mariapan then began practicing her high jump on large amounts of sand at the construction site. At the age of 14, he participated in the competition for the first time and came in second place. This encouraged him to train harder and improve himself, and in 2013, Indian high jumper coach Satyanarayana witnessed him during a competition and decided to take him for training. Satyanarayana decided to take him to the Indian Sports Academy in Bangalore for training and training in different abilities. In 2016, Maria Pan participated in the IPC Grand Prix Rio Paralympic Qualifying Tournament in Tunisia. He completed the men’s high jump T-42 event with a height of 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in). He qualified for the Paralympics, where he won the gold medal in the men’s high jump T-42 event at the Rio Paralympic Games with a jump of 1.89 m (6 ft 1 in). In November 2019, he participated in the 2019 World Para Athletics Championships and won a bronze medal in the men’s high jump T-63 event with a distance of 1.80 m (5 feet 11 inches). In 2018, Mariapan was offered a position with the Sports Authority of India (SAI) as Group A back coach.
Aerial photo of Mariyappan Thangavelu during high jump competition
medal
- 2016 Rio Paralympic Games men’s high jump T-42 gold medal
- Bronze medal in men’s high jump T-63 event at the 2019 World Para Athletics Championships
- 2020 Tokyo Summer Paralympic Games Men’s High Jump T-42 Category Silver Medal
Awards
- Arjuna Awards 2017
Mariyappan receives Arjuna Award from President of India Ram Nath Kovind
- Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Awards 2020
award
Maria Pan received a cash prize of Rs 100 crore after winning the gold medal at the 2016 Rio Paralympics. The Tamil Nadu government and the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports offered him a cash reward of Rs 2 crore. 7.5 million. After learning about Mariyappan’s financial crisis, Sachin Tendulkar set up a fund for Mariyappan and gave him Rs. 1.5 million. Yash Raj Films and Delhi Golf Club gave him Rs. 10 lakh each for his brilliant victory at the Rio Paralympics.
Favorites
- Food: Chicken soup and home-cooked chicken
car collection
Mariyappan owns a white BMW 3 Series GT.
Mariyappan and his BMW 3 Series GT racing car
Facts/Trivia
- In the early days, Maria Pan’s mother worked as a construction worker, but after her mother developed some health problems, Maria Pan borrowed money from relatives to help her open a vegetable store.
- Mariyappan received strong support from coach Satyanarayana, who took care of his fees with the help of the Sports Authority of India (SAI). Mariyappan said in an interview –
After he saw me in a national competition, he came and convinced my family and made arrangements in my college and trained me in Bangalore for about two years. He is more like a friend to me and supports me in every training and every day. “
- Mariyappan used part of his winnings to purchase a piece of land to grow rice so that his family could have a better and more stable source of income. He used a small portion of his winnings to build a better house for his family and put the rest in the bank.
- In 2017, Maria Pan said in an interview that he had been using bonuses to support expenses and that he desperately needed a job to support his family. Mariyappan also requested the Tamil Nadu government to help him, but there was no response from the government.
- In October 2018, Maria Pan served as the flag bearer at the opening ceremony of the 2018 Asian Para Games in Jakarta.
Mariyappan Thangavelu at the 2018 Flag Hoisting Ceremony
- At the 2020 Summer Paralympics, Mariah Pan faced American Paralympian Sam Grew in the final. Mariyappan tried to clear the bar height of 1.88 m but failed. He cleared the 1.86 m hurdles in the men’s high jump T-63 event and won a silver medal. In an interview after the event, he said –
The sock on my other leg (injured right leg) was wet and it was difficult to jump. I have cleared 1.90m in the past. But rain spoiled the game. “
- In July 2021, Mariapan was named the flag bearer for Team India at the 2020 Summer Paralympics; however, he was quarantined in a hotel room when someone close to him on the flight tested positive for Covid-19. Although Mariapan tested negative, he was asked to remain in the room as a precaution.
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education