Kapil Parmar Makes History as India’s First Paralympic Medalist in Judo

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At the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, Indian judoka Kapil Parmar created history on Thursday by taking home the country’s first-ever Paralympic medal in judo. With an amazing Ippon, he defeated Brazil’s Elielton de Oliveira in just 33 seconds to win bronze in the men’s-60kg J1 division. With Kapil’s success, India now has 25 medals total—5 gold, 9 silver, and 11 bronze.

In the quarterfinals, Parmar, who won a silver medal in the same event at the 2022 Asian Games, demonstrated his abilities by beating Marco Dennis Blanco of Venezuela 10-0. On Thursday, though, he was given a yellow card in both of his two bouts. Yellow cards are given out in judo for small violations including inaction or using tactics that might hurt or harm the opponent.

Kapil paaji tussi chha gaye! 💯🙌

Defeating WR 2 Elielton De Oliveira, Kapil Parmar secures India's first-ever Paralympic medal in Judo! 🔥
#ParalympicGamesParis2024 #ParalympicsOnJioCinema #JioCinemaSports #Judo pic.twitter.com/HrnycLbP4I
— JioCinema (@JioCinema) September 5, 2024

Originating from the sleepy town of Shivor in Madhya Pradesh, Parmar’s life took a drastic change when, while playing in the fields as a boy, he unintentionally touched a water pump and received a severe electric shock. He remained asleep for six months until a villager discovered him.

Parmar is the youngest of four brothers and a sister. His sister is the elementary school principal, while his father is a cab driver. Even after this profoundly negative event, Parmar’s passion for judo remained unwavering. His gurus Bhagwan Das and Manoj encouraged and supported him as he pursued blind judo with tenacity. Parmar faced additional difficulties on his voyage. In order to support their family, he and his brother Lalit formerly operated a tea stand. Lalit, who is still Parmar’s biggest influence, is still contributing financially to this