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Paris Paralympics 2024: Sumit Antil and Kumar Nitesh clinched gold medals (X/SAI and PTI)
Nitesh Kumar and Sumit Antil won Gold as Yogesh Kathuniya, Thulasimathi Murugesan and Suhas Yathiraj got Silver, with Manisha Ramadass, Nithya Sre Sumathy Sivan, Sheetal Devi and Rakesh Kumar bagging Bronze.
India clinched a record-breaking eight medals on day 5 of the 2024 Paris Paralympics as shuttler Kumar Nitesh and javelin thrower Sumit Antil clinched gold medals as India remained on course for a record-breaking medal haul – 19 that were won in Tokyo.
Paris Paralympics 2024: Day 5 – HIGHLIGHTS
Nitesh, a 29-year-old engineering graduate from IIT-Mandi, who lost his left leg in a train accident back in 2009, won the top honours in the men’s singles SL3 category, defeating Tokyo silver-medallist Daniel Bethell of Britain 21-14 18-21 23-21 in a gruelling final that lasted over an hour.
Later in the evening, Antil stole the limelight with his exploits. He became the first Indian man to defend his Paralympic title by winning the javelin throw F64 final with a Games record of 70.59m.
The 26-year-old world record holder from Sonipat in Haryana bettered his own earlier Paralympic best of 68.55m set in Tokyo while winning the gold three years ago. His world record stands at 73.29m.
Antil is the second Indian overall after shooter Avani Lekhara to defend a Paralympic title.
Before Antil entered the scene, Nitesh’s gold was icing on the cake on a day when India also clinched silver medals through discus thrower Yogesh Kathuniya (F56) and para-shuttlers Thulasimathi Murugesan (SU5) and Suhas Yathiraj (SL4), who had won a silver in the Tokyo Games as well. A bronze also came from a para-shuttler in Manisha Ramadass (SU5).
India also tasted success in archery after the duo of Sheetal Devi and Rakesh Kumar staged a remarkable comeback after the heartbreak in the semifinals to claim the bronze medal with a 156-155 win over Italy’s Eleonora Sarti and Matteo Bonacina in mixed team compound open competition.
It is only the second time that India has won a medal in archery at the Paralympics. Harvinder Singh bagged an individual bronze at the Tokyo edition of the Games three years ago.
Sheetal, 17, also became the first Indian woman to win an archery medal at the quadrennial showpiece.
Nitesh’s gold was the second of the ongoing Games after wheelchair-bound shooter Avani Lekhara’s top finish in the women’s 10m air rifle (SH1) event last week.
For discus thrower Yogesh Kathuniya it was a second consecutive Paralympic silver medal after a season’s best effort of 42.22m.
The 27-year-old hurled the discus to the podium-clinching distance in his very first attempt to add to the silver he won in the Tokyo Paralympics three years ago.
Shuttler Murugesan was competing in her maiden Paralympics and would go back happy after clinching a silver on debut. She lost 17-21 10-21 to China’s defending champion Yang Qiuxia in the final.
The second-seeded Manisha, who lost to Murugesan in the semifinals, outplayed Danish third-seed Cathrine Rosengren 21-12 21-8 to claim the bronze medal.
Later, top-seeded Suhas was outplayed 9-21 13-21 by Frenchman Lucas Mazur in the SL4 men’s singles final.
The SL4 classification covers impairment in lower limbs that hampers walking and running balance. Suhas was born with a congenital deformity in his left ankle that affects his balance.
In India’s last badminton match, Nithya Sre Sivan won a bronze medal in the women’s singles SH6 third-place playoff match, marking a historic day for Indian para-badminton. The 19-year-old Nithya comfortably beat Indonesia’s Rina Marlina 21-14 21-6 to sign off on a winning note in her maiden appearance at the Games.
(With inputs from Agencies)
