Paralympic champion Sumit Antil set the tone at the 8th Indian Open Para Athletics Championship, winning gold in the Men's Javelin F64 with a 74.82m throw. Other gold medalists included Rinku, Nishad Kumar, and Deepthi Jeevanji.
Javelin Throwers Dominate
Paralympic champion Sumit Antil emerged as the star attraction on the concluding day of the 8th Indian Open Para Athletics International Championship 2026, producing a dominant performance in the Men's Javelin Throw F64 event at the Shree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru. Representing Haryana, Sumit clinched the gold medal with a massive throw of 74.82m. Maharashtra's Sandip Sargar secured silver with an effort of 62.88m, while Rajasthan's Sandeep claimed bronze with a throw of 61.83m, according to a press release.
Another exciting contest unfolded in the Men's Javelin Throw F46 category, where Haryana's Rinku won gold with a best throw of 61.70m. Uttar Pradesh's Ajeet Singh took silver with 60.72m, while Ravi Kumar added another bronze for Uttar Pradesh with 59.33m.
In the Men's Javelin Throw F57 event, Haryana's Parveen Kumar topped the podium with a throw of 45.02m ahead of Uttarakhand's Hem Chandra (42.60m) and Tamil Nadu's Balasubramanian Arulraj (40.62m).
Other Key Performances
Paralympic medallist Nishad Kumar showcased his class in the Men's High Jump T47 event, winning gold for Himachal Pradesh after clearing 2.05m. Haryana's Ram Pal bagged silver with 1.86m.
On the track, Andhra Pradesh's Lalitha Killaka won the Women's 200m T11 title with a timing of 29.97 seconds, while Uttar Pradesh's Preeti Pal secured gold in the Women's 200m T35 event, clocking 29.33 seconds.
Asian Para Games champion Deepthi Jeevanji of Telangana continued her impressive form by winning gold in the Women's 400m T20 event with a timing of 57.84 seconds. Haryana athletes Bhuvi Agrawal and Pooja finished second and third, respectively.
In the women's field events, Gujarat's Bhavanaben Ajab Chaudhary won gold in the Women's Javelin Throw F46 with a throw of 37.01m. Rajasthan's Lalita Saini claimed silver while Andhra Pradesh's Hosuru Uppara Shivani secured bronze.
The three-day championship concluded on a high note with several top Indian para athletes delivering impressive performances ahead of upcoming international competitions. Organised under the aegis of the Paralympic Committee of India, the championship once again highlighted the growing depth and strength of para athletics in the country. (ANI)
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