KOCHI: Not always do you find a math graduate pursuing sport, at least not para-athletics. Varun Singh Bhati’s is such a story. There have been pangs of distress in his life, but nothing to match that of teammate Mariyappan Thangavelu, who won gold in high jump at the Paralympic Games in Rio.
Varun has never gone to bed on an empty stomach, and has always been supported by his family. He jumped to bronze behind Mariyappan and USA’s Sam Grewe. A feat Varun is extremely proud of. “This achievement will make the country sit up and take notice,” he said. “The narrative that men with disabilities can’t make an impact will now change for sure.”
Hailing from a sarpanch’s family in Jamalpur, Uttar Pradesh, Varun liked playing basketball. He was born with a deformity on his left leg, due to polio, but his condition got worse after a surgery.