India's decorated Javelin thrower Sumit Antil has made history by becoming the most successful Indian ever at the World Para Athletics Championships. He won his third consecutive world title on Tuesday, making it a golden day for Indian para athletics.
He was cheered on from the stands by none other than Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra. Inspired and focused, he threw a massive 71.37 metres in his fifth attempt, setting a new championship record in the men's F64 javelin event. He broke his own previous record of 70.83 metres that he set last year.
Although Sumit had hoped to beat his world record of 73.29 metres, which was set during the 2023 Asian Para Games. He felt some soreness in his shoulder and decided not to push too hard. Still, his performance was far ahead of his competitors, showing the world once again why he’s a dominant force in the sport.
“No Indian has ever won three gold medals at the World Para Athletics Championships,” said a proud official from the Indian contingent.
The day got even better for India when Sandip Sargar surprised everyone by winning gold in the men’s F44 javelin event with a throw of 62.82 metres. Right behind him was fellow Indian Sandeep, who took silver with a 62.67 metre effort. It was a 1-2 finish for India.
Earlier in the day, Yogesh Kathuniya added another silver to India’s tally in the F56 discus throw with a best throw of 42.49 metres. While he’s still chasing his first global gold, his consistency continues to shine.
With four medals won on Tuesday alone, India climbed to fourth place in the overall medal standings with 4 gold, 4 silver, and 1 bronze behind Brazil, Poland, and China
Sumit is from Sonipat in Haryana. His life changed in 2015 when he lost his left leg below the knee in a motorbike accident. At the time, he was a promising young wrestler. But life had other plans. In 2018, a para athlete from his village introduced him to javelin
After that, Sumit won gold at the Tokyo 2021 and Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. He even competed once against Neeraj Chopra in an able-bodied event in 2021.