Para athlete Sundar Singh Gurjar talks about his battle with melancholy and suicidal ideas

Sundar Singh Gurjar, an Indian para-javelin thrower who introduced residence a bronze medal on the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, revealed that the Rajasthan Forest Department, the place he has labored since November 2020, accredited his wage due for ten months solely after he gained the Paralympic medal.
Sundar has been working as an officer within the Rajasthan authorities’s forest division alongside fellow para athletes Avani Lekhara and Devendra Jhajharia.
Speaking to PTI, the Paralympic medallist lamented, “I have been working in the forest department in Rajasthan since 5th November 2020. But the day I won the Paralympics medal, within two hours I got my first salary of 10 months”.
How Sundar Singh Gurjar battled suicidal ideas
Sundar reminisced on the highs and lows of his life, recalling a time, throughout his profession, when he was suicidal.
Sundar competed in able-bodied contests until 2015 and was part of a junior nationwide camp that included Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Neeraj Chopra and others till his life modified perpetually. One day, a tin shed fell on him at his good friend’s home resulting in the amputation of his left hand.
Sundar didn’t quit hope, and along with his coach’s unwavering assist, he returned to the sphere within the para-athlete class. He certified for the 2016 Rio Paralympics in lower than a 12 months earlier than destiny struck once more and wrecked his desires. A delay of 52 seconds in reaching the decision room led to his disqualification from Rio Games, the Paralympic medallist recalled.
“I fought back and qualified for the 2016 Paralympics only to be disqualified. That time I started thinking everything is finished, there is nothing left for me. I thought of committing suicide but that time my coach (Mahavir Saini) realised something wrong is going on in my mind. For a month he kept me along with him 24×7, didn’t leave me alone”, Sundar instructed PTI
“As time passed, my thoughts started to change. I started thinking I will start playing again and answer back to the world,” he added.
Sundar Sigh Gurjar credit his coach for single-handedly reworking his life and profession
Attributing his life and profession transformation solely to his mentor Mahavir Saini. The F46 javelin throw bronze-medallist from Tokyo mentioned: “I used to play sports since 2009. Initially, I used to do shot put and I had a medal in shot put in nationals. I did shot put for one-and-half years and after that, my coach Mahavir Saini told me if you have to shine in your career you have to leave shot put and start javelin.”
“He might have seen some talent in me and he started training me. From there till now, coach saab has supported me a lot,” mentioned Sundar, feeling beholden to his coach Mahavir Saini.
Tokyo Olympic Gold medallist Neeraj Chopra and Sundar Singh Gurjar performed collectively till he met with an accident
Recalling his time coaching on the camp with Neeraj Chopra, who scripted historical past by profitable India’s solely gold medal on the Tokyo Olympics 2020, Sundar mentioned: “He was two years junior to me. I used to play Under-20 and he used to be in Under-18. We played a few competitions together at the youth level”.
“In junior India camp me and Neeraj were together in SAI Sonepat camp in 2013-14. Then I suffered an accident in 2015 and came under para,” he added.
Sundar is satisfied that their success will undoubtedly encourage future generations to take part within the sport.
The Paralympic champion thrives to win a gold for the nation
Adamant about pushing himself additional, Sundar mentioned through the interview that he was not happy as a result of his goal was to win the gold. “I really feel I nonetheless have some drawbacks. I gained a medal within the Paralympics however I’m not happy as a result of my goal was to win the gold and I hope to try this within the 2024 Paris Paralympics.
“My first focus would be on Para Asian Games and the World Championships next year but the final target is Paris,” Sundar added.