The night could have been even better for the hosts if Ajeet Singh had had a good day. Unfortunately, he finished fourth.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
In the lead-up to the event, there were signs it was going to be an unforgettable event, particularly for Rinku, who set a new championship record with 66.37 on his fourth throw. His family and friends were in attendance, part of a strong, raucous crowd. Things were indeed building up to all intents and purposes.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cI\u2019m so thankful to my supporters and my family. Their presence encouraged me a great deal. It was my day, everything went my way, from conditions to everything else,\u201d Rinku enthused after his gold.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Many years ago, when Rinku lost his arm in a farming equipment accident, his family would not have thought there would be a day when he would be an international star, the cynosure of all eyes.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cThat was a dark day for us. When he lost his arm, the whole village -- Dhamar, close to Rohtak in Haryana -- fell into a sad silence for weeks. For us, it was the end of the world, but life surprises you when you see where he has reached today,\u201d Wazir Singh Hooda, Rinku\u2019s uncle, said on Monday.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Rinku\u2019s father turned out to be a shy person. In fact, the entire family was like that. It was only Hooda who agreed to share his thoughts on his nephew. \u201cAfter the unfortunate accident, he skimmed stones in a lake in front of our house in his free time, and that made us send him to the Rohtak Stadium when he was 9,\u201d he reminisced.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cThat was a dark day for us. When he lost his arm, the whole village -- Dhamar, close to Rohtak in Haryana -- fell into a sad silence for weeks. For us, it was the end of the world, but life surprises you when you see where he has reached today,\u201d Wazir Singh Hooda, Rinku\u2019s uncle, said on Monday.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Wazir Singh also revealed that the entire village had been informed on phone that Rinku would be in action and that they were requested to throng the JLN stadium. It is a 3-hour ride to the stadium, and all those who managed to make it, as it turned out, experienced something quite out of the ordinary. Something they will never forget.<\/p>\r\n\r\n