Who won a gold medal for India in the Men's Javelin Throw event at the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games?

Introduction / Context:
The 2016 Rio Paralympic Games were historic for India, with several athletes winning medals and bringing renewed attention to para sports. Among these achievements, the men's javelin throw gold medal stands out as a key highlight. This question tests whether you can correctly identify the Indian para athlete who won that gold medal, a fact that appears frequently in sports and current affairs sections.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The event is the Men's Javelin Throw at the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games.
• The options are Rinku Hooda, Devendra Jhajharia, Sundar Singh Gurjar and Mariyappan Thangavelu.
• We assume official Paralympic results for that year.

Concept / Approach:
The key concept is recognising India's celebrated Paralympic champions. Devendra Jhajharia is a legendary para javelin thrower who won a gold medal in the F46 javelin event at the 2004 Athens Paralympics and then again at the 2016 Rio Paralympics, becoming India's first Paralympian to win two gold medals. Rinku Hooda and Sundar Singh Gurjar are also javelin throwers but with different medal outcomes or participation across events. Mariyappan Thangavelu, another Rio hero, won gold in high jump, not in javelin throw.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that Devendra Jhajharia is famous for winning two Paralympic gold medals in javelin throw for India.Step 2: Remember that his second gold medal came at the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games in the men's javelin event.Step 3: Recognise that Mariyappan Thangavelu's gold at Rio was in the men's high jump (T42), not in javelin throw.Step 4: Note that Rinku Hooda and Sundar Singh Gurjar are also linked to javelin, but they did not win the javelin gold at Rio.Step 5: Therefore, among the listed names, Devendra Jhajharia is the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
You can verify this by recalling that Indian media and government awards later honoured Devendra Jhajharia for his historic second Paralympic gold. He is frequently introduced as a two time Paralympic gold medallist in javelin throw. In contrast, Mariyappan Thangavelu is always presented as a high jump champion, and discussions of Rinku Hooda and Sundar Singh Gurjar focus more on their participation and other competitions. This clear separation of achievements confirms that Jhajharia took the javelin gold at Rio 2016.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Rinku Hooda is an accomplished para javelin thrower but did not win the gold medal at Rio 2016. Sundar Singh Gurjar has had significant success in para athletics but similarly did not take that specific gold in Rio. Mariyappan Thangavelu did win a gold medal at Rio, but it was in the men's high jump event, not in javelin. Therefore, all three options are incorrect for this specific event and medal.

Common Pitfalls:
Because several Indian para athletes won medals at Rio 2016, learners often mix up which event each athlete excelled in. For example, some may remember Mariyappan Thangavelu as a gold medallist but forget that his event was high jump. Others may vaguely recall Rinku Hooda or Sundar Singh Gurjar as javelin throwers and guess one of them. To avoid confusion, it is useful to memorise the mapping "Devendra Jhajharia – javelin gold; Mariyappan Thangavelu – high jump gold" for Rio 2016.

Final Answer:
Devendra Jhajharia won a gold medal for India in the Men's Javelin Throw event at the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games.