Kapil Parmar bagged India’s first Paralympic medal in judo, winning a bronze in the men’s 60kg (J1) after convincingly defeating Brazil’s Elielton de Oliveira in the tie-break on Thursday. Parmar put in a superlative performance, dominating his opponent from start to finish to cruise to a 10-0 victory in the bronze medal contest. He had earlier lost to S Banitaba Khorram Abadi in the semi-finals, beaten 0-10 by his Iranian opponent.
The J1 category in para judo is intended for athletes who suffer from little or no visual activity. Athletes in this category wear red circles to indicate that they may need guided support before, during and after a competition. Parmar, who won the silver medal at the 2022 Asian Games in the same category, had earlier beaten Venezuelan Marco Dennis Blanco 10-0 in the quarter-finals.
However, Parmar received a yellow card in each of the two bouts on Thursday. Yellow cards in judo are given for minor infractions, such as passivity or using a technique that may hinder the opponent or cause injury. Parmar hails from a small village called Shivor in Madhya Pradesh. As a child, Parmar suffered a life-changing accident when he was playing in the fields of his village and accidentally touched a water pump, which gave him a severe electric shock. A villager found him unconscious and took him to the hospital, where he remained in a coma for six months.
Parmar is the youngest of four brothers and a sister. His middle brother, who also practices judo, often trains with him. Parmar’s father works as a taxi driver, while his sister runs a primary school. Despite setbacks, Parmar never gave up his love for judo. He continued to pursue his passion for blind judo, thanks to his mentor and coaches Bhagwan Das and Manoj. It was not the 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, remains even now his main source of financial support.
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