Para-athlete wins gold medal at military world games

Subedar Anandan Gunasekaran, a para-athlete of the Madras Engineering Group in Bengaluru, has won three gold medals in the 7th military world games being held in Wuhan, China, on Thursday.

Gunasekaran, whom the India Army calls the “Indian Blade Runner”, took the gold in the 100 metres, 200 meters and 400 metres events.

The army in a statement said he had also qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, after winning gold in a 200-metre event at the Handisport Paris 2019 (Olympic qualifying round).

A member of the Madras Sappers since September 23, 2005, Gunasekaran was posted to the 10th Engineer Regiment. On June 4, 2008, while patrolling along the Line of Control, Gunasekaran stepped on a mine, and the resulting blast tore away his left leg below the knee.

Rushed to Pune for treatment, Gunasekaran was provided with an artificial leg. A keen athlete, Gunasekaran continued his sporting interests with his new appendage, qualifying for a range of para-athletic events.

In 2018, he participated in Para Asian Games 2018 held at Jakarta, winning silver in 400 metres and bronze in the 200 metres events.