Yogesh Kathuniya

❧

Wikipedia

Yogesh Kathuniya
Kathuniya in 2024
Personal information
Born (1997-03-03) 3 March 1997 (age 28)
Bahadurgarh, Haryana, India
Sport
SportPara-athletics
Disability classF56
Event
Discus throw
Medal record
Men's para athletics
Representing  India
Paralympic Games
Silver medal – second place2020 TokyoDiscus throw F56
Silver medal – second place2024 ParisDiscus throw F56
World Championships
Silver medal – second place2023 ParisDiscus throw F56
Silver medal – second place2024 KobeDiscus throw F56
Silver medal – second place2025 New DelhiDiscus throw F56
Bronze medal – third place2019 DubaiDiscus throw F56
Asian Para Games
Silver medal – second place2022 HangzhouDiscus throw F56

Yogesh Kathuniya (born 3 March 1997) is an Indian para-athlete who specializes in the discus throw.[1][2]

Early life

Kathuniya was born to housewife Meena Devi and her husband Gyanchand Kathuniya, a soldier with the Indian Army. At the age of 9, Yogesh developed Guillain–Barré syndrome. He studied at Indian Army Public School in Chandigarh where his father served in the army at Chandimandir Cantonment. His mother learnt physiotherapy, and within 3 years, at the age of 12 he regained muscle strength to walk again. He later attended Kirori Mal College in Delhi, where he earned a Bachelor's degree in Commerce and joined para games.[3]

Career

In 2016, Kathunia started in para sports after Sachin Yadav, General Secretary of the students' union at Kirori Mal College motivated him to take up sports by regularly showing him videos of para athletes.[3] In 2018, he set a world record in F36 category by throwing the disc to 45.18 m at the 2018 World Para Athletics European Championships in Berlin.[3]

Kathuniya represented India at the 2020 Summer Paralympics and won a silver medal in the discus throw F56 event.[1][4] In 2021 November, the President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, awarded Kathuniya the Arjuna Award for his silver medal at the 2020 Summer Paralympics.[5] He represented India at the 2024 Summer Paralympics and again won a silver medal in the discus throw F56 event.[6] He competed at the 2025 World Para Athletics Championships and won a silver medal in the Discus throw F56 event.[7]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Yogesh Kathuniya". Tokyo 2020 Paralympics. Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Archived from the original on 30 August 2021. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
  2. ↑ "Yogesh Kathuniya". Paralympic.org. International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 Mother became physio to help Yogesh get back on his feet, now he is India's hope in Paralympics, Indian Express, 27 August 2021.
  4. ↑ "Tokyo Paralympics Live Updates: Yogesh Kathuniya secure silver medal". SportsTiger. 23 August 2021. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
  5. ↑ "Yogesh Kathuniya Biography: Early Life, Career, Paralympics 2020, Awards, achievements, Records". Srnsk. Archived from the original on 13 November 2021. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  6. ↑ Sportstar, Team (14 August 2024). "India at Paris Paralympics 2024: Complete list of 84 athletes at Paralympic Games". Sportstar. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  7. ↑ "Yogesh Kathuniya wins another silver medal for India; Saudi sprinter sets World Record". revsportz.in. 30 September 2025. Retrieved 30 September 2025.