Tokyo Paralympics: Sumit Antil wins gold in men’s javelin F64 event

Javelin thrower Sumit Antil boosted India’s medal tally on the sixth day of the Tokyo Paralympics in Japan on Monday. With a best throw of 68.55, Antil not only broke the javelin world record thrice in one night but also gave India its second gold medal of the Games. Earlier in the day, shooter Avani Lekhara scripted history by becoming the first Indian woman to win a gold at the Games.

Sandeep, the other Indian in the F44 event, could only manage to rake in two successful throws, his best being 62.20.

In the other javelin throw event, India’s Devendra Jhajharia, who was eyeing a third gold medal at the Paralympic Games, could not duplicate his 2016 effort and brought home a silver medal. In the same event, Sundar Singh Gurjar also took home a bronze medal in the men’s javelin throw F46 final.

With this, India recorded their best-ever medal tally in the Games, four more than the Rio edition.

The F46 classification is for athletes with arm deficiency, impaired muscle power or impaired passive range of movement in arms, with athletes competing in a standing position.

The 40-year-old Jhajharia, already India’s greatest Paralympian after winning gold medals in the 2004 and 2016 Games, pulled off a new personal best throw of 64.35m for the silver.

Jhajharia, who lost his left hand after accidentally touching an electric wire while climbing a tree at the age of eight, bettered his own earlier world record (63.97m) but gold winner Sri Lankan Dinesh Priyan Herath Mudiyanselage (67.79m), who set a new world record, was too good for the entire field.

“In sport and competition, these kind of things happen. There are always ups and downs. I did my best and bettered my personal best. But it so happened that it was his (Sri Lankan’s) day,” Jhajharia told PTI after winning silver.