Ankur Dhama

Ankur was born in a small village in Uttar Pradesh, and started suffering from a gradual loss in vision when he was 4 years old. By the time he turned 5, Ankur had lost his vision completely. On the suggestion of his doctor, he moved to Delhi and attended JPM Senior Secondary School for the Blind at Lodhi Road. He first competed internationally while still in school. After passing out of school with commendable grades, Ankur enrolled at the prestigious St. Stephen’s College, while simultaneously pursuing his passion for sport. With a Masters in History from there, the multi-faceted athlete has excelled at turning in excellent grades while fulfilling the demands of a career in competitive sport. He trains under coach Satyapal Singh, and stays close to his coach, who picks him up and drops him off after practice. Other than this, Ankur is largely independent and as per the rules for blind runners in athletics, he competes with his arm tied to that of a guide runner. A multiple Asian Para Games medallist, Ankur represented India for the very first time at a Paralympic Games, when he lined up against the world’s best in Rio 2016. The year 2022 has been quite successful for Ankur where he won medals at both national and international events. He also received the National award for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities-Best Sportsperson from the Vice-President of India at Vigyan Bhavan, in Delhi.

• Sport Athletics - 800m, 1500m & 5000m (T-11)
• Hometown Khekera, Uttar Pradesh
• Current Training Base Nehru Stadium, New Delhi