Navdeep Singh, who suffered from dwarfism, not only had to endure the usual tough training but also faced brutal bullying from bystanders while growing up in his village in Haryana’s Panipat district.

On Saturday (September 7, 2024), after turning that taunt into his greatest triumph on sport’s biggest stage, the 1.32-meter (4ft 1in) para-athlete expressed his concern about the indignities inflicted on people whose bodies do not fit into the usual molds, and demanded “the same respect” for them.

The 23-year-old Indian javelin thrower won an unprecedented gold medal in the F41 class at the Paris Paralympic Games.

“Humein bhi utna darja milna chahiye, maine bhi desh kanaam roshan kiya hai (We deserve the same respect, I have also brought glory to the country),” Navdeep Singh said while showing off his gold medal in a video shared by the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI).

**EDS: SCREENSHOT VIA PTI VIDEOS** Paris: PCI President Devendra Jhajharia with gold medalist para-javelin thrower Navdeep Singh, at the Paris Paralympic Games. (PTI Photo) (PTI09_08_2024_000034B)

“My goal is to teach society that we also exist in this world and that no one should make fun of us, which is often the case. We can also make our country proud.

“There were many obstacles in the beginning, but I kept going and strengthened myself, which led to good results. This is the greatest moment of my life, I am proud to finish with a gold medal,” he added.

As the athletics competitions at the Paris Olympics concluded, Navdeep Singh’s golden throw in the final saw the hallowed Stade de France graced with the Indian national anthem.

His personal best of 47.32 metres initially earned him second place, but this position was upgraded to gold after the top finisher, Sadegh Beit Sayah of Iran, was disqualified for repeatedly displaying an offensive flag.

It was a defining moment for Navdeep Singh, who silenced all doubters.

Navdeep Singh was born prematurely in 2000 and had problems from the beginning.

It wasn’t until he was two years old that his parents discovered that their son had dwarfism. This was the beginning of a life full of problems and successes.

His father, Dalbir Singh, a national-level wrestler, continued to motivate him and saw his son as an extension of his own aspirations.

Navdeep Singh started his sporting career at the age of 10. He experimented with wrestling and sprinting but discovered his true calling in javelin throwing after being inspired by national icon Neeraj Chopra.

“The first thing that comes to my mind is my father (Dalbir Singh). I really miss my family now. In the beginning, it felt like a burden. I wondered why I couldn’t enjoy life like others — go to school and have fun.

“But he (father) kept me motivated and on track. In this journey, I can’t give credit to just one person. Champions are made with support, so my coach, my family, the government — they all contributed to our success, which made our medal total exceed the expectation of 25 and now stands at 29.”

Early success

Navdeep Singh made his international debut at the Asian Youth Para Games, where he won his first gold medal and laid the foundation for a remarkable career.

He continued to train tirelessly at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) centres in Gandhinagar and Bangalore, where he honed his skills and refined his technique.

At the Fazza International Championship in Dubai in 2021, he again won a gold medal.

Amid high expectations, Navdeep Singh has also faced setbacks, finishing fourth at the Tokyo Paralympics three years ago and the Asian Para Games last year. He finished with bronze at the 2024 World Para Athletics Championship and has faced criticism.

“I suffered a lot, so I wanted to achieve something for my country. My event was on the last day, but I came on August 31, so I kept protecting myself.

“I heard things like, ‘He can’t do this, he only does well in India but fails in the league.’ I heard this from different quarters but I just had to ignore all that. I just needed guidance and the right path.

“I was carrying all my baggage from the past, the training, the hard work, the criticism. I knew I had to let it all go on September 7, and I did and I won,” said Navdeep Singh.

He also spent years away from home, training hard with limited resources, often making do with simple meals and cooking with his roommate and friend Sumit Antil, who broke his own record and won gold in the javelin throw in the F64 category.

“It has been a struggle for six years (2017-2024). I stayed away from my house and ate whatever was available. Sumit and I used to live together; we are good friends and roommates.

“Initially we ate out, but as our stomachs started to hurt, we started cooking for ourselves,” recalls Navdeep Singh.

“I started with (a throw of) 11 metres and now I have reached 47; I had never thought about it. The performance was better than I expected. I will work harder from now on and try to win more gold medals for India,” he concluded.