Pune: Rowing brought Subedar Narayana Konganpalle and Anita Choudhary together. They are off to Paris for the Paralympics , which started on Wednesday, in the mixed double scull category. They clocked 7:50:80 to finish first in the Asian qualifying championship in South Korea, the country’s first pair to achieve the feat.
The scullers are poles apart culturally, family backgrounds, thinking, and fitness. But their ‘fire in the belly’ to win laurels for the country motivates them to push their limits. As a team, they have been practising for hours at the Army rowing node in the College of Military Engineering in the last few months with a conviction to win a medal in the world’s biggest sports event.
Subedar Narayana has defied death to become an international rower. The thoughts of the young man from Peapully village in Nandyal district, about 300km from Hyderabad, in Andhra Pradesh never went as far as rowing. He dreamed of becoming a kabaddi player but joined Madras Engineering Group in 2007 in Bengaluru about 400km from his native place to support his family.
As a driver, Narayana was with units in the Northeast and Rajasthan before his post with the 54 Rashtriya Rifles battalion in 2013. A week before completing his tough tenure, he was sent to Nowshera sector in J&K for a special operation along with a member section (a group of 10 soldiers). We also published the following articles recently Countrys first mixed-double scullers ready to race for gold Subedar Narayana Konganpalle and Anita Choudhary, both overcoming significant personal challenges, are heading to the Paris Paralympics to compete in the mixed-double scull category.
They achieved first place in the Asian qualifying championship. Despite their diverse backgrounds, their shared dedication and rigorous training at the Army rowing node have united them in their quest for a medal. Krishna confident of winning another Paralympics medal for India, says coach Krishna Nagar, a para shuttler from Jaipur, has achieved notable success in recent years, winning gold at the Tokyo Paralympics and the World Championship in Thailand.
Despite personal challenges, including his mother's passing in 2021, he continues to excel in his sport. He is preparing for the upcoming Paris Paralympics with confidence and determination. Jackie Chan to carry Paralympics torch in Paris: A look at his illustrious career Jackie Chan, the 70-year-old actor from Hong Kong, will carry the torch for the Paris Paralympics.
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