Kapil Parmar: India's First Paralympic Judo Medalist

Historic Achievement and Medal Details

• Kapil Parmar won India's first-ever Paralympic medal in judo at the Paris Paralympics 2024 Games.
• He secured a bronze medal in the men's-60kg J1 category.
• Parmar defeated Brazil's Elielton de Oliveira in the bronze medal match with a 10-0 victory in just 33 seconds.
• This victory brought India's total medal tally to 25 (5 Gold 9 Silver 11 Bronze) at the Paris 2024 Paralympics.
• Parmar's medal breakdown: defeated Venezuela's Marco Dennis Blanco 10-0 in quarterfinals, lost to Iran's S. Banitaba Khorram Abadi 0-10 in semifinals.
• The bronze medal match took place at the Champ-de-Mars Arena.

Kapil Parmar's Background and Journey

• Hails from Shivor village in Madhya Pradesh, India.
• Suffered a severe electric shock as a child, resulting in vision impairment.
• Spent six months in a coma following the accident.
• Youngest of four brothers and a sister; father works as a taxi driver.
• Previously won a silver medal at the 2022 Asian Games in the same category.
• Faced financial hardships, once ran a tea stall with his brother Lalit to support the family.
• Discovered blind judo after doctors advised him to gain weight post-recovery.
• Mentored by Bhagwan Das and Manoj, who motivated him to pursue judo competitively.

Para Judo Classification and Technical Aspects

• Parmar competes in the J1 class of para judo.
• J1 classification is for athletes with no to very low visual activity.
• Athletes in this category wear red circles to indicate they may need guided support.
• Yellow cards are issued for minor violations in judo, such as:
  • Passivity (lack of attacking intent)
  • Using techniques that might hinder the opponent
  • Potentially causing injury to the opponent
• Parmar received a yellow card in each of his two contests on Thursday.

Significance and Impact of the Achievement

• First time an Indian judoka qualified for Paralympics in this discipline.
• Opens new avenues for aspiring para-judokas in India.
• Likely to inspire more visually impaired athletes to take up judo.
• Potential for increased support and resources for para judo programs across India.
• Contributes to India's best-ever performance at the Paralympics, with three days still remaining in the Games.
• Showcases the potential for success in para judo for Indian athletes.