Devendra Jhajharia's 'Winning Tip' Played Its Part In Navdeep Singh's Win

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