New Delhi: Double Paralympic champion Sumit Antil delivered another outstanding performance by winning the gold medal in the men’s javelin throw at the World Para Athletics Grand Prix on Thursday, leading a dominant day for Indian athletes.
Competing in the men’s javelin throw F43, F44 and F64 categories, Antil secured the top position with an impressive throw of 69.25 metres. Fellow Indian athletes also performed strongly in the event, with Pushpendra Singh claiming the silver medal with a throw of 56.91 metres, while Poonam Ram finished third with 49.48 metres to take bronze.
The 27 year old javelin thrower from Sonipat said the distance of his winning throw exceeded his expectations. He noted that he had anticipated a mark around 67 or 68 metres but was pleased to surpass it during the competition.
Antil explained that he is currently in a training phase focused on preparation for upcoming tournaments and is continuing to compete in events to find the best conditions for improving his performance. The athlete has now set his sights on the upcoming Asian Para Games in Japan later this year, where he hopes to achieve a throw beyond the 75 metre mark.
India’s athletes also delivered strong performances across several track and field events. In the men’s 400 metres T13 race, Subodh Bhatt won gold with a time of 51.88 seconds, followed by Priyanshu Kaushik with silver and Avnil Kumar with bronze.
Gold medals were also secured by Bhavikkumar Din Bharwad in the men’s 400 metres T46 and T47 event, Manojkumar Sabapathi in the wheelchair category men’s 400 metres T53 and T54, and Tejalben Amraji Damor in the women’s 400 metres T11 and T12 event.
Indian athletes continued their dominance in field events as well, with gold medals won by Lakshmi in women’s shot put, Shaliesh Kumar in men’s long jump T42 and T63, Rohit Kumar in men’s shot put F46, Sahil Salim Sayyad in men’s discus throw, and Sunil Kumar in men’s javelin throw F40 and F41.
The strong performances across multiple disciplines highlighted India’s growing depth in para athletics and continued success on the international stage.
