Suyash Jadhav secures 2024 Paris Paralympics quota in Men’s 50m Butterfly S7 category

New Delhi [India], February 21 (ANI): Indian para swimmer Suyash Jadhav on Wednesday secured the 2024 Paris Paralympics quota in the Men’s 50m Butterfly S7 category with his brilliant performance at the previous Asian Para Games.

His magnificent time of 32.22 seconds at the Asian Para Games helped the para swimmer confirm his spot in the mega event in Paris.

“India swimmer and #TOPScheme Athlete Suyash Jadhav has absolutely smashed it, securing the #Paris2024 quota in the Men’s 50m Butterfly S7 category for the 2024 #Paralympics! His incredible time of 32.22 seconds at the Asian Para Games not only met the ‘A’ qualifying mark but also secured his spot for the mega event! Way to go, Suyash! You’ve made us all proud,” Sports Authority of India (SAI) wrote on their official X (formerly Twitter) account.

Back in 2015, Suyash, who competes in the S7 Category, was the only Indian Para swimmer to achieve the ‘A’ qualifying mark for the 2016 Paralympics and make his way to Rio.

Seven years down the line, in 2023 Suyash was the only Indian swimmer to win a medal at Hangzhou – Asian Para Games that took place in October 2023. Now a veteran in the sport, Suyash was the only swimmer who got to interact with the Honourable Prime Minister along with the other 110 Indian medallists.

Suyash picked up swimming at the young age of three after being encouraged by his father, who was a state-level swimmer himself. However, an unfortunate accident where Suyash lost both his palms and wrists due to electrocution.

Two years after the accident the youngster’s drive for Swimming brought him back to training and there was no turning back from there. In 2015 Jadhav won a silver and a bronze medal at the IWAS World Games in Sochi, Russia, and soon he became the first Indian Para swimmer to register the ‘A’ qualifying mark for the 2016 Paralympics in Rio.

In 2018, at the Jakarta Asian Para Games, he won three medals, including a Gold in the 50m Butterfly and a Bronze each in the 200m Individual Medley and 50m Freestyle events. The feat of 2016 was repeated once again in 2021 when Suyash once again qualified for the Tokyo Paralympics and was one of the only two swimmers from India at the global event.