Rower Narayana focused on winning Paralympics medal

K. Narayana, who along with Anita, made it to Paralympics mixed double scull event.

From the jaws of death, trapped in a landmine blast while on duty serving the Indian Army in Jammu and Kashmir which left him with an amputated left-leg (below knee), the 34-year-old Narayana Konganapalle, along with Anita, made it to the 2024 Paris Paralympics in mixed double scull para rowing championship.

This Indian duo clocked 7:50.80 to …nish …rst in the Asian qualifying championship in South Korea on Sunday to make the cut for the Paris edition later this year.

For the record, India’s ace single sculler Balraj Panwar made it to the Paris Olympics …nishing third with a timing of 7:01.27. “Ever since I started rowing six years ago, I had always that inkling of how it would be to make it to the Paralympics despite my physical challenges. For some reason, I always felt that I should do something really special,” Havaldar Narayana informed The Hindu on Monday.

“This urge was really intense especially after being a lucky survivor in the 2018 blast, a week before my stint in J & K was to end. I was second in the line of attack, one colleague who was in front of me was unfortunately killed,” said Narayana.

“Now, our focus is to win a medal in Paralympics and with RFI planning to have a preparatory camp, we are optimistic of coming back with one,” he said.

“Well, moving over to Pune to get an arti…cial limb …xed in 2018 was another decisive moment of my career and thanks to the great support from the Army, I have been able to perform consistently winning international medals,” said Narayana who won the 2022 World Cup bronze and then …rst time partnering Anita bagged a silver in the mixed doubles 2023 Para Asian Games.