‘I wanted to win this gold for my mother’: Rinku Hooda triumphs amid grief at Asian Para Games

Para spearman Rinku Hooda (ANI Photo) The pain of losing his mother was still fresh and his preparations were interrupted by a shoulder injury. Still, when Rinku Hooda entered the arena at the Asian Para Games, he had one goal in mind, to win gold for the person he lost.The 27-year-old Indian paraathlete fulfilled this promise on Monday when he won gold in the men’s F46 javelin throw with a performance of 65.11m. He edged out compatriot Ajeet Singh, who secured silver with a throw of 65.02m, while Indonesia’s R Saktyono took bronze with 55.30m.

“I wanted to win gold for my mother”

But for Rinka, the medal was much more than a place on the podium. It was a tribute to his mother, who died on August 8, leaving him to go through personal grief as he prepares for one of the biggest competitions of his season.“During the last two months, I was a bit upset. My mother died on August 8. It still worries me. It’s fine on the outside, but it’s not the same on the inside,” Rinku told PTI from Nagoya.“I wanted to win this gold medal for my mother. So I would like to dedicate this gold to my mother.”Rinku barely coped with the loss before returning to training. After completing 13 days of mourning, he resumed preparations on August 19, initially keeping the intensity low.“It happened on August 8. And on August 19, once the 13th day (mourning period) was over, I started training. But I started lightly,” said Rinku, who trains at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium in Rohtak.His preparations suffered another setback when he suffered a Grade 1 shoulder tear that forced him to rest for about 20 days. The injury has since healed, although he continues to use taping as a precaution.“I had an injury on my shoulder, a grade 1 tear. Then I rested for about 20 days. I’m fully recovered from the injury. I used to do taping and stuff. I still do taping, but I didn’t feel any pain,” he said.

From a farm accident to the podium of the Asian Para Games

Rinku’s journey through the sport began against difficult circumstances. At the age of three, he lost his left arm in a farm accident when it became trapped in a rice planter, which eventually required amputation.The failure did not take away his passion for the sport. While helping his father with the farm work, Rinku continued to participate in school-level state running competitions. He was introduced to javelin by Amit Kumar Saroha, an Indian para-athlete who guided and trained several young talents.Rinku made his mark on the international scene with gold at the 2015 Asian Youth Games, followed by silver at the World U20 Para Athletics Championships in Switzerland in 2016. He also competed at the Rio Paralympics that year, finishing fifth at just 18.His medal collection has continued to grow ever since. He won bronze at the 2018 Asian Para Games and silver at the 2022 edition in China. He won silver in 2023 and gold in 2025 at the World Para Athletics Championships.The F46 classification is for athletes with a single amputation above or below the elbow or an equivalent disability.

The ultimate goal remains a Paralympic medal

Despite his success at continental and world level, one achievement still eludes Rinku, a Paralympic medal. He finished fifth at the 2024 Paris Paralympics and the experience strengthened his determination to return to the podium at the 2028 Los Angeles Games.“I didn’t medal in the Paralympics. So that’s my goal now. I’ll focus more on that. The qualification for the 2028 Paralympics will start five to six months before the Games,” he said.