New Delhi: Mariyappan Thangavelu created history earlier in the week after he clinched a gold medal in the T42 High Jump event at the Rio Paralympics.


COMMERCIAL BREAK
SCROLL TO CONTINUE READING

Following his record-breaking feat, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa announced a cash prize Rs 2 crore for him.


The 21-year-old however has decided to donate Rs 30 lakh from it to the government school he studied in. Gestures like this are extremely rare in Indian sports and this young athlete needs to be lauded for it.


It was also announced on Monday that he will be the country's flag-bearer at the closing ceremony of the Rio Games here on September 18.


Mariyappan, who was merely five-years-old when his right leg was crushed by a speeding bus, joined Murlikant Petkar (1972, swimming) and Devendra Jhajharia (2004, javelin throw) in the Indian Paralympics gold club.