Sports

Then Neeraj Chopra and now Sumit Antil: The Javelin boys make India proud in Olympics and Paralympics!

By alagu, 30 August, 2021
Paralympics, Tokyo Olympics 2021, Olympics, India

If you have watched Sumit Antil's winning streak at Javelin in the ongoing Paralympic Games, you can't deny that it's a 'golden' throw. When 23-year-old Neeraj Chopra, a native of Panipat, Haryana, won the Gold medal in the Javelin throw in the summer Olympics, this 23-year-old Sumit Antil from Sonepat, Haryana has determined to make the country proud from his javelin and he did it on Monday and these two daring boys from Haryana had exhibited a fact that India has ruled Javelin track in the Tokyo Olympics. 

Para-athlete Sumit Antil has on Monday won the Gold in the men's F64 category Javelin throw and it has become India's second Gold in the ongoing Paralympic Games and the feat has drawn more significance to Paralympics to a scale of Olympics. Besides winning the Gold, Sumit has also set a new world record by spearing the javelin to 68.55m in his fifth attempt. Like Neeraj Chopra, it's the maiden Paralympic Games for Sumit Antil and both of them had made the country proud by accomplishing the 'gold'en dream. 

Through spearing the javelin to 68.55m, Sumit had himself broken his own record of 62.88m. While Sumit won the Gold, Australia's Michal Burian (66.29m) and Sri Lanka's Dulan Kodithuwakku (65.61m) had won the Silver and Bronze respectively. Sumit Antil has lost his left leg below the knee after he suffered a motorbike accident in 2015. He was a student of Ramjas College in Delhi and he posed to be an able wrestler before the accident and Sumit was introduced to the Paralympics by another para-athlete, Rajkumar, while he was pursuing his B.Com in Delhi. 

In 2017, Sumit has started training under Nitin Jaiswal in Delhi and he then started participating in various National and International competitions and he was supported by the GoSports Foundation through the Para Champions Programme. In what has become his career-breakthrough, Sumit Antil had won a Silver in the F64 Javelin throw at the World Championships in Dubai. Through winning the Gold medal, Antil has reserved a place in the club of Indian gold medallists in the Paralympic games by becoming the fifth Gold medallist for India after Murlikant Petkar (1972), javelin thrower Devendra Jhajharia (2004 and 2016), high jumper Mariyappan Thangavelu (2016), and shooter Avani Lekhara (2020), who won the Gold on Monday. 

Avani had become the first Indian woman to win the Gold medal in the Paralympic Games and Monday has been a medal for India as the contingent had cheered the country with two Gold medals. Currently, India stands at the 26th spot in the medals table with seven medals - two golds, four silvers, and one bronze. With this remarkable milestone, India has surpassed its best-ever medal tally at the Paralympic Games. As Sumit Antil has elated the tricolour to fly high, he has been flooded with wishes and commendations back in the country. 

President Ram Nath Kovind took to Twitter and wrote, "Sumit Antil's historic performance in javelin throw at the #Paralympics is a moment of great pride for the country. Congratulations on winning the gold and setting a new world record. Every Indian is elated to hear the national anthem at the podium. You're a true champion!" Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote, "Our athletes continue to shine at the #Paralympics! The nation is proud of Sumit Antil’s record-breaking performance in the Paralympics. Congratulations Sumit for winning the prestigious Gold medal. Wishing you all the best for the future". 

Union Minister for Sports Anurag Thakur tweeted, "The World Record has been broken! India has won another GOLD MEDAL! Sumit Antil congratulations on a splendid at #Tokyo2020  #Paralympics. Incredible throw, Inspirational feat! Javelin Throw F64 Final with a throw of 68.55m." ANI has reported that the Prime Minister had spoken to Antil over the phone and congratulated the latter for winning Gold. After scripting history, Sumit Antil said, "Target was to touch 70m. However, I'm happy with my performance (with a World Record throw of 68.55m). I'm speechless right now. It was my first Paralympics. I've broken world record 3 times in just one competition".

 

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