Had to lose both legs due to being hit by tractor
Tokyo, Aug 30 (IANS) | India’s Sumit Antil, performing brilliantly at the ongoing Tokyo Paralympics, won the gold medal in the javelin throw class F64 by creating a new world record. Sumit made a world record throw of 68.55m in the final and won the gold medal. He improved on his throw of 62.88m, set in November 2019.
This is India’s second gold. Earlier this morning, female shooter Avani Lekhara won gold in 10m Air Rifle SH1. This is India’s second gold medal in this Paralympics, while it has won a total of seven medals. Apart from Sumit, Australia’s Michael Burian took silver with a throw of 66.29m while Sri Lanka’s Dulhan Kodithuvaku took the bronze with a throw of 65.61m. Sumit and Burian broke the previous world record while the Sri Lankan athlete put up his personal best.
Sumit started the final with 66.95m in his first attempt but he threw 68.55m in his fifth attempt and finished first. Sumit threw 68.08 in the second attempt, 65.27 in the third, 66.71 meters in the fourth while his sixth and final throw was a foul. India has won its fifth medal at the Tokyo Paralympics today. Before him, Avani, Devendra Jhajharia, Sundar Singh Gurjar and Yogesh Kathunia also won medals for the country today. Devendra and Sundar won medals in javelin throw F46 while Yogesh won medals in discus throw T56.
Meanwhile, India’s Sandeep Choudhary finished fourth in the F44 category with a throw of 62.20m and missed out on a medal. Sandeep’s best throw is 66.18m and could have fetched a medal if he had been able to repeat the performance. India has so far won two gold, four silver and one bronze medals in this Paralympics.
One Sumit lost both his legs in a road accident. But even after this, Sumit did not lose courage and has achieved this feat today. Sumit, who hails from Haryana, is the only brother among three sisters. Sumit’s father died of an illness at the age of 7 while serving in the Air Force. In 2015, when Sumit was returning from tuition, he was hit by a tractor-trolley.