Boria Majumdar in Paris
We have all celebrated Navdeep Singh for his gold medal at the Paris Paralympics. It was a fantastic effort to throw 47.32m to win gold, and give India a record seventh gold medal. However, when we spoke to him the next day, something very different came to light. It was his sportsmanship. Soon after the announcement was made that the Iranian, Sadegh Beit Sayah, was disqualified, he was in tears. Navdeep and Sadegh were both in the mixed zone at the time, and Navdeep immediately went up to him and to console him. He got him a bottle of water and tried to calm him down and help him as much as possible. It was a gesture that was noticed even by the Iranian media, who all praised Navdeep for his sportsman spirit.
“We are athletes first,” Navdeep said afterwards. “We have competed against each other for years. And I am sure we will be competing against each other for many years going forward. While it is great that I was awarded the gold medal, it doesn’t take away from the fact that we are both sportsmen, and it was unfortunate for him. The very least I could do was to be with him and try and help him before I celebrated my medal. At no point did I think anything otherwise. As athletes, we work for years to make the podium. Then, if something unfortunate happens, it is essential for fellow athletes to stay together and help someone overcome the trauma.”
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While he was speaking, not once did it seem that he was saying things for the sake of it. Rather, he meant what he was saying, and that’s what stood out. “For the longest time, I have finished outside of the podium,” said Navdeep. “I know the pain, for I have experienced it. When you see your colleagues make the podium and see your people celebrating medal-winners, it makes you question yourself as to what is going wrong. Why can’t you do the same is what you ask yourself? For Sadegh, it will hurt even more. He had created a Paralympic record, and then to be told that he was disqualified was a huge blow. That’s why I did what I did, and tried to help him overcome the initial shock.”
So while we celebrate Navdeep’s gold medal and his record-breaking effort, we must also celebrate the human side of the man. In an age of ruthless competitiveness, to see an athlete show this humane side is refreshing and welcome. May be that’s what makes the Paralympics what they are. At the end of the day, it is a celebration of sport and the values it stands for. Navdeep is a champion for us all not simply for the gold medal that he won, but also for the human being that he is. He might use a lot of expletives to charge himself up during competition, but deep down, he is a fine human being. And that’s what makes him special.
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