Paralympic double medalist athlete Mariyappan Thangavelu has revealed in an interview that he could not participate in 2012 Paralympics at London as he couldn’t get a passport.
Mariyappan Thangavelu is a high jump para-athlete who was known to the world after he struck gold medal at the 2016 Paralaympics in Rio De Janerio, Brazil.
In an interview with renowned journalist Rangaraj Pandey, Mariyappan told that he had been getting gold at national championships since 2011. He said that the 2012 Paralympic medal record was 1.74 m while he had already made record by jumping 1.77 m during the 2012 national championships.
He said that he could not get his passport in 2012 and hence could not participate in the London Paralympics. “We didn’t even have money to get the passport back then”, Mariyappan said adding that had he participated then, Tokyo Paralympics would have been his third Olympics. He would have had his third medal by now.
“I was told that I would receive the passport before my flight. But I didn’t get it.”, Mariyappan said.
He also mentioned that he struck gold in all national championships by practicing without shoes and a coach. He said it was only in 2014 he got introduced to a coach named Sathyanarayana and had worn shoes only in 2015.
It is noteworthy to mention that Mariyappan is an athlete under the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) introduced by the Government of India in September 2014. Mariyappan has since then been getting guidance and support from the government and Sports Authority of India.
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