Tokyo 2020 Paralympics
Tokyo Paralympics: How Soman Rana went from an Indian Army boxer to Para-shot putter
Another Paralympian who has shone on the sporting front through his courageous pursuit of representing the country despite all odds
Soman Rana(source-indian express)
The Indian Army has produced countless international level athletes over the past several decades. This has not been confined to any one sport and ranges from boxing to rowing and hockey. Another domain that has been covered has been at the Paralympics and Soman Rana is a testament to the spirit of the Indian army. The world no 2. shot putter will be representing India in the F-57 category and his story is inspirational to say the least.
The ex-army Havildar unfortunately lost his leg in a mine blast in 2006 while on duty with his unit. The stocky army man from Shillong was training to be a boxer at that time and the accident was more than unfortunate given the nature of mine blasts. However, despite the odds being stacked against him, he continued his pursuit of sports and began training in 2017 in Pune. His stint at the Army Paralympic Node put him on course within a few months to be an ace shot putter. He began competing in international tournaments to gain experience. It was no surprise when he won a gold at the World Para Grand Prix earlier in 2021 along with a few more gold medals at the National Para Championships as well. He has great experience in the form of World Grand Prix's, Asian Para Games, World Military Games etc. This will be his first Paralympic Games.
Soman Rana will be looking for nothing less than a podium finish at Tokyo this year. He has overcome a lot to get to where he is, and his hard work coupled with the ever-present dedication of the Indian Army is sure to bring laurels to the country.
