Sumit Antil on Tuesday became the most successful Indian in the history of the World Para Athletics Championships, clinching his third consecutive javelin gold and immediately declaring his ambition to achieve the coveted 80m mark.
Cheered from the stands by two-time Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra, the 27-year-old Sumit secured the men’s javelin F64 class title with a championship record throw of 71.37m, achieved on his fifth attempt in a field he dominated completely.
He broke his own championship record of 70.83m set in the 2023 edition but was nearly 2m shy of his world record of 73.29m set while winning the 2023 Asian Para Games gold. No Indian has won three gold medals in the World Para Athletics Championships.
Sumit mentioned he wanted to
break his own world record but felt “soreness” in his shoulder area, settling for the championship record in the event for athletes with moderately affected movement in one or both legs or the absence of limbs.
He also won gold in the 2023 and 2024 editions. The 27-year-old has two Paralympics gold medals from the 2021 Tokyo and 2024 Paris Games. He is the reigning Asian Para Games champion.
Sumit holds the record for the longest para javelin throw in history with his world record of 73.29m but aims to reach the 80m mark, the standard for top-class able-bodied javelin throwers.
“See, we are trying to see how far we can go as para-athletes. I’ve heard a lot that a para-athlete cannot throw so well. So, we are looking for an answer to that question,” he said.
“No one thought a para-athlete could throw 70m when I started the game. Now, I can do it. So, we will try to throw 75m or 80m. In the future, as long as the game continues, we will try to throw 80m.”
VIDEO | India’s para javelin star Sumit Antil (@sumit_javelin) won his third successive gold medal of the World Para Athletics Championships as he clinched the F64 class title on Tuesday.
Sumit Antil said, “It has been great, I defended my World Champion crown with a… pic.twitter.com/7RDWqwIAFR
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 30, 2025
The F64 class was held separately this time, though it has often been clubbed with F44, which features some very good throwers.
“This is the organising committee’s decision, which category to merge and which not to merge. In this F64, the second-best competitor was very far behind. So, I felt like I was fighting with myself.
“There was not much adrenaline rush in the body. On top of that, there was pain, so we played it safe.”
He said he needs to fix the “soreness” in his shoulder area first.
“I will recover from my injury in a month or two. I will start the season in February because the Asian Games are next year. So, I need some time for preparation.”
Regarding his earlier back injury, Sumit said, “We strengthened the core a lot. There is no permanent solution for it. Strengthening is the only solution. By strengthening, you can manage it.
“We made some technical changes. So, there is no more load on the back. It was going very well.”
Asked about Neeraj Chopra watching him from the stands, he said, “Yes, it was very good. He (Neeraj) is the inspiration for everyone in javelin throw, who gave recognition to javelin in India, and came to watch the match. It was very good. I haven’t met him yet. I will try to meet him soon.”
(With inputs from PTI)
