Nishad Kumar and Simran Sharma secured their first World Para Athletics Championships gold medals in high jump and the 100m race, respectively, as India garnered four medals on Friday to climb to fourth place in the standings.
Preethi Pal and Pardeep Kumar added bronze medals in the 200m and discus throw, respectively, increasing India’s tally and moving the hosts up three spots from seventh.
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India now boasts six gold, five silver, and four bronze medals. With two days remaining in the competition, the hosts are on track to surpass their best medal count of 17, achieved in Kobe 2024 (Japan).
Brazil continues to lead the table with 12 gold, 18 silver, and 7 bronze medals, followed by China (9-16-13) and Poland (8-2-5).
Delhi’s Simran Sharma clinched
India’s first gold of the day, winning the women’s 100m T12 final with a personal best time of 11.95 seconds, earning her maiden title in the event.
Previously, she had won gold in the 200m event in the last edition in Japan and a bronze in the 2024 Paralympics. She is also set to compete in the 200m here.
Liang Yanfen of China secured the silver with a time of 12.11 seconds, while Spain’s Nagore Folgado Garcia also clocked 12.11 seconds for the silver.
The T12 category is for athletes with visual impairment, and Simran ran with her guide Umar Saifi.
Born prematurely at six-and-a-half months with visual impairment, the 25-year-old Simran trains at the JLN Stadium. She was in an incubator for six months, and it was her father, Manoj Sharma, who encouraged her to take up the sport.
“It’s fun to run for my country. I always wanted to do something for my country,” Simran said.
“I have won gold 100m and I will now give my best to win 200m,” she added.
For Nishad, it was a double celebration as he won the men’s high jump T47 event on his 26th birthday, clearing 2.14m to secure the gold with an Asian record. This marked his first gold in either the Paralympics or World Para Championships.
He had previously won silver medals in the Tokyo and Paris Paralympics, a bronze in the 2019 World Championships, and a silver in the 2023 edition.
“I have been waiting for this day for a year. I have been working very hard for this day. Today is the day. I have given my best. It’s God’s will. No one can stop me,” said Nishad.
“I already have silver medals. I have kept it on my rack. I haven’t seen them since I kept it on my rack. I have been waiting for this gold medal for many years.
“I was ready for it. I had written in my diary that I will do it (win gold) today.”
His victory was even more significant as he defeated USA’s Roderick Townsend, the five-time defending champion and three-time Paralympic gold medallist. Townsend managed only 2.03m for bronze, while Turkey’s Abdullah Ilgaz took silver with 2.08m.
“It was a big achievement for me. I beat him for the first time in my life. I saw him for the first time in Rio 2016.”
Nishad hails from Una in Himachal Pradesh and lost his right hand in a grass-cutting machine accident when he was six years old. The T47 classification is for para-athletes with a below-elbow or wrist amputation or impairment.
In the women’s 200m T35 final, Preethi clocked a season’s best of 30.03 seconds to take the bronze behind Guo Qianqian (29.50 seconds) of China and Fatimah Suwaed (30.00 seconds) of Iraq.
In the men’s discus throw F64, Pardeep produced a season-best effort of 46.23m to take the bronze. Ivan Katanusic of Croatia won the gold with a throw of 55.12m, while Max Rohn of the USA took the silver with 50.92m. The T35 classification is for athletes with coordination impairments, while F64 is for those with moderately affected lower limb movement or leg absence below the knee.
(With inputs from PTI)
