When Sachin Tendulkar met Paralympian Devendra Jhajharia

A band and a bond. That’s how a recent meeting between Devendra Jhajharia and Sachin Tendulkar could be described . Tendulkar asked the javelin thrower what was the one special thing he did to prepare for the Rio Paralympics, where he won a gold medal and bettered his own world record. “Theraband exercises,” Jhajharia answered. Tendulkar knew the merits of the Theraband, and approved of its choice. “He told me I did a good thing as the band increases the flexibility of the muscles,” Jhajharia says. “He said a lot of cricketers also do Theraband exercises. I thought, ‘If such a great player is saying so then I must have done the right thing’. A judicious mix of training methods, a stint in Finland and discipline helped Jhajharia win his second Paralympic gold, 12 years after the first. His longevity now is somewhat Tendulkar like. Excerpts from a chat:

Who inspires you and qualifies as a trendsetter?
President Abdul Kalam and my mother inspired me. President Kalam did a lot of positive work and led a good life. My mother, she never let me get downcast. She did not let negative energy affect me. She was always positive. She was the one who sent me to the sports ground, because of which my life got direction.
Sachin is my role model because he led his life with discipline and played 24 long years. My last medal was 12 years ago. And before this year’s Games, I would sometimes think about the long time that had passed since the first medal. Then I thought if Sachin could play 24 years, I can certainly play 12. I also admire Milkha Singh. He came here after partition, rose from the grassroots level to become an Olympian.

Some trendsetters like Tendulkar had the ideal kind of family support. What role did your family play in your life?Tendulkar had the ideal kind of family support. What role did your family play in your life?
My family makes me mentally strong. I have performed as well in meets as I did in practice. The reason for that is positive thinking. And the reason for that is my family.

Do you read any books for inspiration?
I like to read biographies. They give me a lot.


Sachin Tendulkar with the Indian Paralympian heroes in one frame (Image: BCCL)

Trendsetters tend to be a disciplined lot. What is your daily routine?
I sleep before 10 pm and wake up at 5.30 am. From 6 am to about 9 am, I am on the ground, practising. This and my meal times are sacrosanct. I have breakfast at 10 am and then a very light lunch of just dal. I practise again in the evening.

Do you feel successful Paralympians like yourself are going to be trendsetters?
There seems to be a movement and it should continue. We need to help newcomers, people who need the support.