COIMBATORE: A 26-year-old athlete from Coimbatore has bagged three gold medals in the 22nd National Para Athletics Championship held in Goa recently.
Keerthika Jayachandran participated in the F-53 category and bagged gold with a score of 4.63 m in the shot put, 9.30 m in the javelin and 11.22 m in discus throw events in the national event held from January 9 -13 at Panaji.
With this performance, she has qualified to participate in the World Para Athletics Grand Prix 2024 to be held in Tunisia from February 29 - March 8. She is looking for sponsors to meet the Rs 2.5 lakh expenses for the trip.
A resident of Nagamanaickenpalayam, Keerthika suffered a spinal cord injury after falling from a cycle at the age of nine. Undeterred, she continued her education and has completed B Com. She now works in the customer service division of Amazon and is the family’s breadwinner. Her father Jayachandran retired from a private firm and her mother Jayamani is a home maker.
“I suffered injury in C7 - D4 after the fall and became wheel chair dependent. After seeing the achievements of Mariyappan Thangavelu (para-athlete from Salem) I too thought of taking up a sport. I could not pursue full stretch despite I started in 2017 due to a lack of guidance and the subsequent Covid-19 lock down. Fortunately, RM Narayanan, a volunteer who is providing a coach to para-athletes, helped me. Tamil Nadu Para Sports Association and Coimbatore Para Sports Association too backed me,” she told TNIE.
Keerthika started para sports in 2017 and has been participating in competitive events since 2021. Keerthika’s elder brother Rajmohan quit his job as lathe operator and accompanies her to events.
She has won gold and silver medals in International World Ability Sports Game Thailand, 2023, gold in the first edition of Khelo India Para Games in New Delhi, 2023, 21st National Para Athletic Championship, 2023. Indian Open National Athletic Championship and National Para Athletics Championship. If she wins medals in Tunisia, she will qualify for the para-Olympics.