Kapil Parmar became the first Indian judoka to win a Paralympics medal with a bronze in the men's 60kg J1 category. It was the realisation of a dream that he aimed to achieve in Paris, as he beat Brazil's Elielton De Oliveira by Ippon in the medal clash.
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Kapil, currently the world no.1, was expected to go the distance in his event but he lost a close semifinal to Iran's Seyed Meysam Abadi by Ippon. However, in the bronze medal bout, Kapil started as the favourite, having defeated Oliveira earlier this year at the IBSA Judo Grand Prix in Antalya. He started strongly and capitalised on Oliveira's mistake early on to drop him down and take the victory.
Kapil, 24, is from Sehore in Madhya Pradesh, and became visually impaired after a motor pump accident that resulted in an electric shock. Born to a taxi driver father, Kapil took up judo after a teacher told him to take up a sport to make use of his energy. .
Later, he shifted to Lucknow to train at the Indian Para Judo Academy and that's when his career took off. A lot of Kapil's credit also goes to his coach Munawar Anzar Ali Siddiqui. Considering he's visually challenged, Kapil has to depend a lot on his coach's instructions during the bouts.
"When you don't see, it's a special moment to step on the tatami (the judo mat). You have to rely entirely on your feelings and on the coach. He is the one who tells you what to do and where to go. You have to be fully confident. I could recognise his voice in any situation. He told me the exact time when I needed to attack and we elaborated the strategy together," Kapil was quoted as saying to the International Paralympic Committee website after his win at the IBSA Judo Grand Prix in Antalya.
"For days before the competition, we recognise every corner of the venue, from the field of play, of course, to the warm-up area and the bathroom as well. Kapil needed to know where he was. Then it's a matter of having the right perception and in the end, everything comes naturally," his coach Munawar said.
"Then it comes to judo itself and here the coach plays a special role. At the very beginning we have to show with our hands what a technique looks like. I have to take Kapil's hands and feet and move them accordingly so he can feel what is going on. Then he has to integrate that into his body posture."
The move that took down Oliveira and earned Kapil his bronze probably also came down to Munawar's instructions. The record books will show Kapil's name as the one who won in Paralympics but he and those familiar with the nuances of his event will know the medal also has his coach's name on it.