Asian Para Games 2023: Sumit Antil Wins Gold Medal In Javelin Throw, Pushpendra Singh Bags Bronze

Asian Para Games 2023: Reigning Paralympics champion Sumit Antil on Wednesday ensured a top podium finish with a world record effort of 73.29m.

Reigning Paralympics champion Sumit Antil on Wednesday ensured a top podium finish with a world record effort of 73.29m.

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India won a gold medal at the Hangzhou Asian Para Games javelin throw F64 event after reigning Paralympics champion Sumit Antil on Wednesday ensured a top podium finish with a world record effort of 73.29m. The 25-year-old broke his own previous world record of 70.83 metres, which he had thrown while winning gold at the World Para Athletics Championships in Paris earlier this year.

Reigning Paralympics champion Sumit Antil wins javelin throw F64 gold medal in Hangzhou Asian Para Games with world record effort of 73.29m pic.twitter.com/roOIeJ98p7

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) October 25, 2023

Meanwhile, another Indian, Pushpendra Singh, clinched the bronze medal with a throw of 62.06m. Samitha Arachchige Kodithuwakku of Sri Lanka ended up in the second position to take silver with a throw of 64.09m.

Antil had won gold in the men’s javelin F64 event at the Tokyo Paralympic Games with a then-world-record throw of 68.55m. This was India's 10th gold at the ongoing Hangzhou Asian Para Games, with the total medal count swelling to 36.

Sumit made a strong start with his first throw of 66.22m, surpassing the Games Record of 56.29m he had established back in 2018 in Jakarta. His second throw reached a distance of 70.48m, coming close to his own world record of 70.83m, which he had set at the World Para Athletics Championships in Paris earlier this year.

In his third attempt, he astoundingly shattered that record with an enormous throw of 73.29m. India won total of 42 medals including 11 gold, 12 silver and 19 bronze medals, sitting fourth in the medal tally.

Earlier this year, Indian athletes bagged 107 medals in total at the Asian Games in China's Hangzhou over the last fortnight, surpassing their own record of 70 at the 2018 Jakarta edition. India's medal tally of 107 includes 28 gold, 38 silver and 41 bronze.