Every time Nitesh Kumar missed a point during this epic gold medal match against Great Britain’s Daniel Bethell at the Paris Paralympics, he turned to his coaches seated courtside.
After receiving a quick word of assurance, he turned around and went about his business.
The impact of a coach in competitive sport is paramount. And this was visible in ample measure at every event during the ongoing Paralympics.
As the Indian athletes hit their strides and reaped a record-breaking haul of medals, their coaches stood on the sidelines, offering advise and cheering them every step of the way.
On this Teacher’s Day, a day that honours the birth anniversary of Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, it’s only appropriate that we recognise the work of coaches that have transformed the para-athletics landscape in the country.
R.D Singh
As a kid growing up in school, Singh excelled in multiple sports and won accolades in track and field, weightlifting and volleyball. It was during his stint as a Physical Education Director at a college that he began coaching.
Over 500-athletes have played the India Inter-University games under his training. He famously spotted Devendra Jhajharia at a school competition in 1997 and in 2004, Jhajharia would go on to win Paralympic gold.
In 2007, the Government of India handed Singh the prestigious Dronacharya award for his great achievements in para-sport.
Gaurav Khanna
With Nitesh Kumar won gold, Gaurav Khanna wasted now time in embracing his ward. Khanna would have been a badminton player himself had he not lost his legs at an early age.
That said, such was his passion that he made it his life’s mission to helps others take up the sport. When in police serve in the late nineties, he handed badminton racquets to street-kids that were hearing impaired. Thereafter, he set up the Drona Paralympic House in Lucknow which has since delivered over 800-medals.
Khanna was conferred the Dronacharya Award in 2020 and thereafter, received the Padma Shri in 2024.
Vijay Bhalchandra Munishwar
As a para-powerlifter, Munishwar represented India at three Paralympics – Barcelona (1992), Atlanta (1996) and Sydney (2000). Once he hung up his boots, he took to coaching and guided several para-powerlifters at the world stage.
Rajinder Singh Rahelu, one of Munishwar’s wards, won a bronze medal in the 56kg category at the 2024 Athens Paralympics.
As civil engineer, he won the Shiv Chhatrapati Award and Dadoji Konddeo Awards. But his crowing moment arrived in 2020, when he was bestowed with the prestigious Dronacharya Award.
Satyapal Singh
Between 1993 and 2003, Satyapal Singh was a regular at National and state competitions winning medals on a regular basis.
After his athletic career ended, he obtained a PhD in Sports and Athletics and began working with athletes and in the realm of sports administration. He then went on to coach the Indian Para-athletics team from 2007 in 35 International competitions including multiple Olympics (2008 & 2016), Asian (2010, 2014 & 2018) and Commonwealth Games (2010).
Under his coaching, the Indian contingent bagged one Silver and four Bronze medals in the 4th International Blind Sports Federation World Championship held in Antalya, Turkey in 2011. Also, as the Athletics Coach of the Indian contingent in the 10th Asian Para Games held in Guangzhou, China in 2010, he oversaw the performance of the contingent that won one Gold and four Silver medals.
Satyapal Singh was conferred the Dronacharya Award in 2012.
Suma Siddharth Shirur
In the 2004 Asian Games, Suma set a joint world record in the 10m air rifle event. After medaling at the Busan and Doha Asian Games and then at the Manchester and Delhi Commonwealths, Suma turned to coaching.
After a decade-long coaching stint, Suma attained the pinnacle when as coach of the 2020 Paralympics women’s shooting coach, she oversaw Avani Lekhara’s gold and bronze medal winning exploits in the SH1 10m rifle SH1 50m 3-position rifle events.
In 2022, Suma was conferred the Dronacharya Award by the President of India, Droupadi Murmu.
Also, in 2015, Naval Singh was accorded the Dronacharya Award for his contribution to para-sports and in 2021, Jai Prakash Nautiyal was presented the Dronacharya Award for his efforts in para-shooting.