File photo of Navdeep Singh.© X/@sukriti_stats
A "small yet powerful advice" from India's celebrated javelin thrower Devendra Jhajharia proved to be crucial for Navdeep Singh, who clinched a historic gold medal at the Paris Paralympics. This was India's first-ever gold in the F41 category, which is meant for athletes of short stature. "Sir ke paas bahut experience hain, aur woh hamesha fase huye match nikalte hain, so maine mere problems bataye (Sir has loads of experience, he always finds a way to win difficult matches, so I discussed my problems with him," Navdeep recalled their conversation in a video shared by the Paralympics Committee of India.
"Ek choti si salah di but ant mein pata chala sach mein yeh toh bahut tagda point bataya hai (He gave me a simple piece of advice that ultimately proved to be very effective. It turned out to be a crucial insight." Despite his impressive muscle power and speed, the 23-year-old Navdeep struggled with technique, a shortcoming that led to a disappointing fourth-place finish at the Tokyo Paralympics and the Asian Para Games.
PCI president Jhajharia, a double Paralympic gold medallist, explained to Navdeep that while many believe the javelin is thrown primarily with the hands, the real power comes from the legs.
"I told him just one thing: Remember, while people say you throw the javelin with your hands, it's actually driven by your legs.
"I instructed him to fully engage his right leg to release power from the ground," Jhajharia told Navdeep who throws with his left-hand.
"This technique helps generate force from the ground, which is then transferred through the throw, resulting in greater power and accuracy." This insight played a significant role in Navdeep's performance, helping him achieve a personal best throw of 47.32 metres and secure the gold medal in the men's javelin F41 category.
"Whatever I say about Navdeep is not enough it has taken our tally to 29 medals. We will aim for more than 29 medals in 2028 Paralympics," Jhajharia said.
Navdeep was initially placed second but it was upgraded to gold just before the medal ceremony as Iran's Beit Sadegh, who topped with a throw of 47.64, was disqualified for "unsporting/improper conduct".
World record is Navdeep's next target
Navdeep was coached by Sunil Talwar, who also had guided Jhajharia for 10 years.
"It's a hat-trick for me with a gold by Navdeep (two medals of Jhajharia was under my coaching)," Talwar said, adding that correcting his technique was the main focus in the build-up to Paris.
"I kept watching his throws and assessed that he has a lot of potential. He has a lot of strength; his speed is good, and he has great power.
"However, he was a little weak technically. I told him, 'You don't need this much strength; I will just work on your technique, which is not good at present.' So, I focused only on his technique.
"I always had the target of 46 metres in mind, but he achieved 47, so the credit goes to his talent and hard work. Next, my target with Navdeep is to break the world record," the coach added.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)