India’s Yogesh Kathuniya on Sunday clinched silver medal in the discus throw (F56 classification) final at the ongoing Tokyo Paralympics. The 24-year-old secured India’s fifth medal with a season-best throw of 44.38m. 

Kathuniya, who broke a world record in his first-ever international competiton in 2018 at the Para-athletics Grand Prix in Berlin, registered throws of 42.84m, 43.55m and 44.38m in his second, fifth and sixth throws respectively.

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Brazil’s Claudiney Batista dos Santos clinched gold with a throw of 45.59m, improving on his Paralympic record throw from the Rio 2016 edition. The 42-year-old is also the reigning world champion and the world record holder. Cuba’s Leonardo Diaz Aldana secured the bronze medal with a throw of 43.36. 

Athletes in the F56 classification have full arm and trunk muscle power, while pelvic stability is provided by some to full ability to press the knees together, according to the official definition by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).

“Hip abductor and hip extensor muscles are typically absent. Equivalent activity limitations are seen in athletes with bilateral high above knee amputations. Athletes with some but non-functional muscle power in the lower limbs will also fit in this class,” the IPC said on its website. 

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Earlier today, para shooter Avani Lekhara clinched India’s first gold medal at the ongoing Tokyo Paralympics, finishing with a score of 249.6. She also became the first Indian female para athlete to clinch an individual gold medal. 

India have so far won five medals, including one gold, three silver medals and one bronze. Paddler Bhavina Patel won India’s first medal at the ongoing Paralympics on Sunday, a silver, before high jumper Nishad Kumar also finished second in the T46 class. 

Discus thrower Vinod Kumar also won bronze in the F52 class, however, his result was put on hold due to a contention in his disability classification.