Sumit Antil became the most successful Indian in the history of World Para Athletics Championships, clinching his third straight javelin title to help the country pocket two gold and as many silver on the most productive day in New Delhi on Tuesday.
Cheered on from the stands by two-time Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra, 27-year-old Sumit Antil claimed the men’s javelin F64 title with a championship-record throw of 71.37m on his fifth attempt, dominating a field he commanded throughout.
He bettered his own championships record of 70.83m set in the 2023 edition, but was nearly 2m away from his world record of 73.29m which he had set while winning the 2023 Asian Para Games gold. No Indian has won three gold in World Para Athletics Championships.
Sumit said he wanted to break his own world record but he felt “soreness” on his shoulder area and thus had to be satisfied with the championship record in the event meant for athletes with moderately affected movement in one or both legs or the absence of limbs.
India also won a surprise gold medal through Sandip Sargar in the men’s javelin F44 event with a throw of 62.82m in a 1-2 finish for the hosts. Sandeep won the silver with an effort of 62.67m.
Earlier in the morning session, Yogesh Kathuniya won yet another silver medal in the men’s F56 discus throw event with a throw of 42.49m as his quest for a maiden gold at the global level continued.
With the four medals on the day, India moved up to fourth sport with 4 gold, 4 silver and 1 bronze, below Brazil (7-14-6), Poland (6-1-5) and China (5-7-4).
Sumit had also won gold in the 2023 and 2024 editions. He also has two Paralympics gold medals won in 2021 Tokyo and 2024 Paris Games.
Tomas Felipe Soto Mina of Colombia was a distant second with 48.38m while Kazakhstan’s Rufat Khabibullin was third with 47.14m.
Antil, who hails from Sonipat in Haryana, lost his left leg below the knee after he was involved in a motorbike accident in 2015. A student of Delhi’s Ramjas College, Antil was an able-bodied wrestler before his accident which led to amputation of his leg below the knee.
A para athlete in his village initiated him to the sport in 2018.
He even competed against Chopra in the able-bodied Indian Grand Prix series 3 on March 5, 2021 in Patiala.
“I wanted to break my own world record. I was trying but I don’t know. The day before yesterday, when I woke up, my hand was not working. I don’t know what happened,” Sumit said after his win.
“I might have slept in the wrong position. I don’t know. But at the end, I am happy that I got the championship record. I treated with my physio for a short period of time, but I was able to warm up a little bit. I was struggling a little bit, but at the end it was good.”
He said during warm-up throws, when he applied full power, he felt pain in his neck region.
In men’s javelin throw F44 event, Sargar won gold with a throw of 62.82m while Sandeep took silver with 62.67m. Brazil’s Edenilson Roberto was third with an effort of 62.36m.
F44 is for field athletes with moderately affected movement in one or both legs.
In the morning session, Kathuniya sent the disc to 42.49m in his second attempt to win the silver. He has been winning a medal in all the four world championships since 2019.
He picked up his third successive silver in the World Championships — the other two being in 2023 and 2024 editions — in addition to the two silver medals in the Paralympic Games (2021 and 2024). He had also won a bronze in the 2019 edition. In the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Para Games also, he won a silver.
World record holder Brazilian ace Claudiney Batista won the gold with a throw of 45.67m. Each of his six throws were better than that of Kathuniya’s best effort of the day. This was Batista’s fourth successive gold in the world championships starting from the 2019 edition. He has also won gold in the last three Paralympic Games.
Kathuniya has not been able to beat the Brazilian in four world championships and two Paralympic Games.
The F56 category is meant for athletes who compete in field events from a seated position.
“It is a different feeling since I won a silver on my home ground. My family members are here, very happy to have performed in front of my family. They have always been very supportive, so it’s special,” Kathuniya said.
In the past, he had expressed his frustration at finishing second all the time at the global level.
“For the last six-seven years, silver has stuck to me, but it has not gone down from that (colour of medal). But, it’s alright, my time (for gold) will come,” he said.
“I have stopped saying I am going to win gold, there was no pressure on me. I really enjoyed my outing,” he said.
At the tender age of nine, Kathuniya was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome, a rare autoimmune disorder. Doctors told him that he wouldn’t walk again and soon he was confined to a wheelchair.
But within three years, he started to walk again, thanks to his mother, Meena Devi, who learnt physiotherapy to treat her son. He hails from Bahadurgarh in Jhajjar district in Haryana.
(With inputs from PTI)
