Interview | There’s an additional buzz now if they realise I am competing: Navdeep Singh

Midway through his event at the National Para Athletics Championships in Chennai recently, Navdeep Singh — India’s gold medallist in the javelin throw (T41 class for athletes with short stature) at the Paris Paralympics — was fairly relaxed.

Seated in the company of the chief coach of the Indian national team Satyanarayana and Nishad Kumar, the men’s high jump silver medallist in Paris, Navdeep was eager to begin a season that will see several important international events come India’s way on a victorious note.

A throw of 47.32m in the French capital won him the gold medal and a Paralympic record. In Chennai, however, Navdeep could manage only 39.93m for the same outcome.

While understandably not happy with the distance, Navdeep is always the glass-half-full type of athlete. His focus is firmly on the World Championships in September this year and the LA Paralympics in 2028.

While the big picture dictates his day-to-day life, Navdeep has not forgotten to savour the renewed interest in and veneration of para-sport, particularly after India’s record-breaking 29-medal campaign in Paris last year.

“The respect we are getting now. I am really liking it,” he said. Excerpts:

How has life changed after the gold medal at the Paris Paralympics?

The main thing is the change that has come about. People of short stature used to be considered a laughing stock. I am really happy with the change in perspective on that front. Our community and our nation now recognises us for our talent and I truly appreciate that. No one knew me before this gold medal and now everyone does. It is a big deal for me and those from my community. We used to hide ourselves from society, but now we can be free with our heads held high.

Has the perspective around dwarfism and people of short stature in society changed at all?

I think yes. I’ve done a lot of podcasts of late and I’ve spoken quite openly about the problems and discrimination I faced. In our community, our problems are similar. I raised my voice and used my platform to shed light on our issues and for greater awareness. For a long time, we were never asked how we felt. The thinking of the larger society was often imposed on us.

People with dwarfism were generally associated with jokers in a circus. It was a very myopic way of thinking, but it has changed. A while back, a friend of mine told me that some of his acquaintances mistook him for me and kept calling him ‘Navdeep’ while approaching him for photographs. Even in that kind of misunderstanding, there’s a level of respect involved with what they’re associating me with and that makes me feel very good.

Amid all the international events on the calendar now, what space does the Para Nationals occupy? How important is it?

We are usually able to participate only in one or two domestic competitions. Usually, it’s the Khelo India Games and the Nationals. In an ideal world, I’d want to play as many competitions as possible, particularly at the domestic level because we can see the kind of talent coming through in our sport. It’s a good opportunity to see how much awareness people have of para-sport. The standard of competition in India is getting better. There’s an additional buzz now if they realise I am competing, which makes me very happy. It helps build awareness also.

How do you handle criticism? Are you seeing the same people who criticised you earlier praising you now?

If I talk about individual incidents, it will offend others. It is not right to reveal such incidents. But yes, there were problems, which people like us had to face and endure. Players like us and the sport itself have proved that you will win only if you fight. Even if we don’t win, we will learn. We have more than proved that we are no less than anyone. No one can stop your ability, except you. When you consider yourself independent, you will be able to open up better and showcase your capabilities.

As you mentioned, the Nationals are an important event and your presence is important for emerging athletes as well. What did your preparations for Chennai look like and are you happy with your performance?

(Laughs) I am a little sad about my performance here because my target was something else. I wanted to touch 40m at any cost. But it’s alright. Coming from the off-season, my training load wasn’t too high. I can go ahead and work on the mistakes and technical elements of my throw and keep going forward.

Are you participating in the Grand Prix from April 8 to 13? How important is the Grand Prix for you in preparation for the World Championships?

First of all, such a big event is happening in India for the first time, so it’s a big deal. The people of India should see our event and they should understand how we Paralympians compete. I will definitely participate.

Going back a bit, when did you decide to take up athletics?

I played my first Javelin competition in the Nationals in 2016 in Panchkula. But my first Nationals was in 2012 after which I began training properly. My sports career had started much earlier but it all got organised post 2016.

You finished fourth in the Tokyo Paralympics. Were you disappointed and how did you deal with the phase?

I had a lot of questions as to why I couldn’t do it when everything was in my favour. I had a lot of reasons but when I shared my reasons with my close friends, they told me that no matter what I say or what reasons I give, they may come off as excuses. It’s better to prove myself on the field instead. I took that as a source of motivation rather than becoming depressed with the results in Tokyo.

What changes, both technical and psychological, did you undergo from Tokyo to Paris?

I worked on all possible elements — physical, technical and psychological — because I knew I had a thirst to improve. I was a very young athlete and those with me in the Paralympics were all seniors.

So it was an opportunity for me to gain experience while spending time with them and seeing what they do. I was able to see how competition works, how it helps an athlete and what all I could draw from these events.

Any particular tweaks you made in the run-up to the Paris Games that helped bring that medal?

I kept my mobile phone away. Initially, it was difficult. In today’s time, the phone is a big problem. It turned out to be a good decision. I didn’t have a medal in the previous Paralympics so no one was calling me. I didn’t have to worry about missing important calls before my event (laughs). The time is nearing to turn the phone off again.

Has the state of differently-abled athletes changed for the better?

The change is tangible. Look at the numbers in the Paralympics over the years. We had four medals in Rio 2016, 19 medals in 2021 Tokyo and then 29 in 2024. Progress is definitely being made. One good thing has been that athletes who finished fourth in the previous Paralympics in Japan managed to step up to the podium and bring home medals. We had a high bronze medal account in Paris too — 13. Even our fourth and fifth place finishers have all been performing better. The goal now is to turn those bronze medals to silver and gold and the Federation is working hard towards that.

What change do you want to see in para-athletics?

Things are going fairly well now. I think the basics should be focused on. If the food served for athletes at events can be less oily and more nutritionally aligned with what athletes will need, that would be great for the sportspersons in the ecosystem.

Whenever I have people coming up to me asking about how life in sports is, I always encourage them to give it a try. Either they will go on to bring laurels for themselves and the country and earn recognition and respect, or at the very least, it will do tremendous good for their health. So the idea is to always encourage anyone interested in sport to actually take it up.

Have you been able to exchange notes on javelin with Neeraj Chopra?

We met at an event organised by the Reliance Foundation once. It was a very official meeting and there wasn’t time to chat about much. We have spoken on the phone here and there, but technique and technical tips are not conversations you can have over the phone. If we get an opportunity to sit down and discuss it someday, that would be nice.

Are you eyeing the 50m mark?

For me, the idea is to always keep improving on my personal best and keep poking at the world record. I haven’t kept a target distance in mind. My main focus is the World Championships and the LA Paralympics in 2028.