Devendra Jhajharia Height, Weight, Age, Body Statistics

Devendra Jhajharia is an Indian track and field athlete who specializes in the F46 javelin throw event and has clinched the ‘Gold’ medal at the 2004 Athens Paralympic Games, the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games, the 2013 Lyon IPC (International Paralympic Committee) World Para Athletics Championships, and the 2016 IPC Athletics Asia-Oceania Championship in Dubai. He had also secured the ‘Silver’ medal at the 2015 Doha IPC World Para Athletics Championships and the 2014 Incheon Asian Para Games. In 2016, he had become the first Indian athlete to win 2 ‘Gold’ medals at the Paralympic Games. He has been supported by the GoSports Foundation, an independent, donor-funded venture, that helps fund and provides professional expertise for some of India’s junior Olympic and Paralympic athletes, through their Para Champions Programme.

Born Name

Devendra Jhajharia

Nick Name

Dev, Bhaisahab

Sun Sign

Gemini

Born Place

Churu, Bikaner Division, Rajasthan, India

Residence

Rajasthan, India

Nationality

Occupation

Track and Field Athlete

Family

• Father – Ram Singh Jhajharia
• Mother – Jivani Devi
• Siblings – Pradeep Jhajharia (Brother), Arvind Jhajharia (Brother)

Manager

He is represented by Sharba Tasneem, Manager and Booking Agent, Meraki Sport & Entertainment, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.

Build

Athletic

Height

6 ft or 183 cm

Weight

80 kg or 176.5 lbs

Girlfriend / Spouse

Devendra has dated –

1. Manju Jhajharia (2007-Present) – Devendra had married a former nationally ranked kabaddi player named Manju in 2007. They have 2 children together – a son and a daughter.

Race / Ethnicity

Asian (Indian)

Hair Color

Black

Eye Color

Dark Brown

Sexual Orientation

Straight

Distinctive Features

• Toned physique
• Short-cropped hair
• Clean-shaven look

Devendra Jhajharia Facts

1. When Devendra was 8 years old, he had climbed a tree and had accidentally come into contact with a live electric cable. He was immediately hospitalized but the doctors who were treating him were eventually forced to amputate his left hand.
2. 8 years later, in 1997, he was spotted by renowned coach R. D. Singh when he was competing at the sports day at his school. He was so impressed that he had immediately taken Devendra under his wing.
3. When he had won the first of his Paralympic Games ‘Gold’ medals in 2004, he had become just the 2nd Indian to win a ‘Gold’ medal at the Paralympic Games after Murlikant Petkar had become the first to do so at the 1972 Summer Paralympics, in Heidelberg, Germany, by setting a world record in the 50 m freestyle swimming event, at 37.33 seconds. Murlikant, at that event, had also participated in javelin throw, precision javelin throw, and slalom, and was a finalist in all 3 of those events. He was a private or jawan of the craftsman rank in the Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers (EME) in the Indian Army and had been disabled during the 1965 war against Pakistan, after sustaining severe bullet wounds.
4. For his services, Devendra was honored with the prestigious ‘Arjuna Award’ in 2004, the 2nd-highest sporting honor of India; and the ‘Khel Ratna’ award in 2017, the highest sporting honor in India.
5. In 2012, he had been honored with the ‘Padma Shri’ by the Government of India, the country’s 4th-highest civilian award. He had become the first Paralympian to receive this honor.
6. He has been employed with the Sports Authority of India, the apex national sports body of India, and had been formerly an Indian Railways employee.
7. On August 30, 2021, during the Tokyo Paralympics 2020, Devendra won a silver medal in the men’s javelin throw F46 event.

Featured Image by Devendra Jhajharia / Instagram