Shotputter Deepa Malik bags historic silver at Rio Paralympics

India's Deepa Malik bagged a silver medal in the Women's Shot Put F53 event at the 2016 Rio Paralympics Games, clinching the silver with a personal best throw of 4.61 metres on Monday

India's Deepa Malik on Monday created history by becoming the first-ever woman from the country to win a medal at the Paralympics when she bagged a silver in the shotput F-53 event. Pic courtesy Deepa Malik Twitter account

Rio de Janeiro: India's Deepa Malik bagged a silver medal in the Women's Shot Put F53 event at the 2016 Rio Paralympics Games, clinching the silver with a personal best throw of 4.61 metres here on Monday.

Fatema Nedham of Bahrain won the gold medal with a throw of 4.76m while Dimitra Korokida of Greece bagged the bronze with an attempt of 4.28m which was her best effort this season.

Deepa has thus confirmed India's third medal from the Paralympic Games. India's tally at this edition of the Paralympics now stands at one gold, one silver and a bronze.

Mariyappan Thangavelu had won gold in the Men's High Jump T42 category on Friday with fellow Indian Varun Bhati taking bronze in the same event.

Deepa also became the first Indian female medallist in the history of the Paralympic Games. India, who made their Paralympic Games debut in 1968, have bagged an overall total of 11 medals including three gold, four silver and an equal number of bronze medals.

Deepa, who received the Arjuna award in 2012, is a paraplegic, paralysed from the waist down,. She is the mother of two children and the wife of an Army officer.

The 45-year-old registered her name twice in the Limca Book of Records, once for crossing a 1 km stretch of the Yamuna river against the current in 2008, and then again for covering 58 km by riding a special bike in 2013.

Life took a twist when a spinal tumour made walking impossible for her 17 years ago. The spinal tumour had to be operated and 31 surgeries were conducted on Deepa which was healed after 183 stitches between her waist and legs.

Besides shotput, Deepa has participated in javelin throw, swimming and has also been a motivational speaker. She has also won medals in swimming at international competitions. She holds the Asian record in javelin throw, and also has World Championships silver medals in shot put and discus in 2011.

Deepa's silver is India's third medal of the Games after Mariyappan Thangavelu and Varun Singh Bhati won gold and bronze respectively in men's high jump.

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