Paris Paralympics 2024: Kapil Parmar Creates History, Becomes First Indian Judoka to Win

Kapil Parmar created history by becoming the first Indian judoka to win a medal at a Paralympic Games. Kapil defeated Elielton Oliveira of Brazil 10-0 to clinch the bronze medal match of men’s 60kg contest at the ongoing Paris Paralympics 2024.

Kapil’s historic feat has taken India’s medal tally to 25 that includes 25 gold, 9 silver and 11 bronze.

Paris Paralympics 2024: Day 8 – LIVE

The 24-year-old Parmar was beaten 0-10 in semifinals A by his Iranian opponent  S Banitaba Khorram Abadi. The J1 class in para judo is for the athletes who suffer from no to very low visual activity. Athletes in this category wear red circles to indicate that they may need guided support before, during and after a contest.

Parmar, who won the silver medal at the 2022 Asian Games in the same category, had earlier beaten Venezuela’s Marco Dennis Blanco 10-0 in the quarterfinal. Parmar was, however, handed a yellow card in each of the two contests earlier today.

Kapil hails from a village named Shivor in Madhya Pradesh and is the youngest of four brothers and a sister.  His father works as a taxi driver while sister runs a primary school.

As a child, Parmar had a life-altering accident when he was playing in the fields of his village and accidentally touched a water pump, resulting in a severe electric shock.

He was found unconscious by a villager and taken to the hospital, where he remained in coma for six months.

He is the youngest of four brothers and a sister. Parmar’s father works as a taxi driver, while his sister runs a primary school.

Despite the setback, Parmar never gave up his love for judo. He continued to pursue his passion in blind judo, thanks to his mentor and coaches Bhagwan Das and Manoj.

It was not end of the struggle for Parmar who used to run a tea stall with his brother Lalit to make ends meet.

Lalit, his source of inspiration, even now remains his main source of financial support.

Following his recovery, doctors advised Kapil to gain weight. It was during this period that he discovered blind judo and he then began pursuing the sport competitively.

Kapil and his brother used to run a tea stall to support themselves.