KY Venkatesh is four feet and two inches tall and has achondroplasia, a condition that leads to dwarfism.
President Ram Nath Kovind on Tuesday awarded Padma Shri to para-athlete KY Venkatesh at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Venkatesh has won several medals in the World Dwarf Games. He was being awarded the Padma Shri for his contribution to the sport and its development.
During the ceremony, an interesting sight was witnessed. Venkatesh marched towards the stage amidst thunderous applause. All eyes were on the athlete. When Venkatesh reached the stage, the President noticed that due to Venkatesh's short height, the distance between the two was more. In such a situation, he asked Venkatesh to come down the stairs so that both of them could come on an equal surface. After Venkatesh came down, the President also came down from the stage and presented him with the Padma Shri badge. Seeing this sight, the applause in the historic Durbar Hall of Rashtrapati Bhavan intensified.
KY Venkatesh is a para-athlete from Karnataka and his performance in sports has been outstanding. His height is four feet and two inches. In 2005, he entered the Limca Book of Records by winning six medals at the 4th World Dwarf Games. He was the first Indian athlete to represent India at the games. He won the medals in athletics and badminton events.
However, his career in athletics started way back. In the year 1994, he represented India at the first International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Athletics World Championships that were held in Berlin, Germany.
Apart from this, there are many other major achievements related to the game in Venkatesh's tally. He has now retired from the world of professional sports. Presently he is the secretary of the Karnataka Para-Badminton Association.
The 44-year-old is super passionate about sports. He has achondroplasia, a condition that leads to dwarfism. However, he never allowed his short stature to dishearten him from moving forward in life. He has achieved excellence in multiple games, including athletics, hockey, football, volleyball, basketball, and badminton.
The Padma Awards are one of the highest civilian honours of India announced annually on the eve of Republic Day. The Awards are given in three categories: Padma Vibhushan (for exceptional and distinguished service), Padma Bhushan (distinguished service of higher-order) and Padma Shri (distinguished service). The award seeks to recognize achievements in all fields of activities or disciplines where an element of public service is involved.
The Padma Awards are conferred on the recommendations made by the Padma Awards Committee, which is constituted by the Prime Minister every year.
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