Thursday, 19 September 2024
Thursday, 19 September 2024
India clinched a record-breaking eight medals on day 5 of the 2024 Paris Paralympics as shuttler Nitesh Kumar and javelin thrower Sumit Antil clinched gold medals. With 15 medals already in the bag, India remains on course for a record-breaking medal haul. In the 2021 Tokyo Games, India won 19 medals.
Athletes Yogesh Kathuniya, Thulasimathi Murugesan and Suhas Yathiraj also impressed on a memorable day for the Indian contingent in Paris. The day for India started with discus thrower Yogesh and his silver medal win.
Let’s take a look at all the medallists for India on Day 5.
A throw for the ages
Sumit Antil breaks Paralympic record twice
Javelin thrower Sumit Antil on September 2 became the first Indian and second from the country to defend the title as he won the F64 category gold with Paralympics record of 70.59m at the Paris Games.
Entering the competition as the top contender, Sumit lived up to expectations, delivering a record-breaking display. 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.
The F64 category is designated for athletes with lower limb impairments, including those who compete with prosthetics or have differences in leg length.
Antil has also won gold in the World Para Athletics Championships in 2023 and 2024 and in last year's Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, China.
In January 2015, Antil suffered a motorcycle accident in Sonipat. A speeding truck hit him and his left leg below the knee had to be amputated.
Shuttlerrs shine on the biggest stage
Nitesh Kumar captured gold in the men’s singles SL3 badminton event
Nitesh Kumar clinched the gold medal in the Men's Singles SL3 badminton event after defeating England's Daniel Bethell.
When he was 15, Nitesh had lost his left leg in a train accident in Visakhapatnam in 2009 but he recovered from the trauma and found his calling in para badminton.
SL3 class players, like Nitesh, compete with more severe lower limb disabilities, requiring them to play on a half-width court.
Nitesh's victory on Monday ensured that India retained the SL3 gold after Pramod Bhagat clinched the title three years ago when para badminton made its debut in Tokyo.
He has also won multiple titles that includes wins at the BWF Para Badminton World Circuit and Asian Para Games in 2022.
Thulasimathi Murugesan and Manisha Ramadass’ double podium finish
Thulasimathi Murugesan claimed the silver medal in the Women’s Singles SU5 badminton event at the Paralympics on September 2.
Facing China’s defending champion Yang Qiuxia in the final, Thulasimathi put up a strong fight but fell short, losing 21-17, 21-10.Thulasimathi Murugesan had a birth deformity in her left hand, which allowed only 20-30 percent extension flexion, and often left her in shooting pain when a nerve flared up.
The SU5 classification in Paralympic badminton encompasses athletes with impairments affecting their upper limbs, impacting either their playing or non-playing hand.
Manisha was born with Erb's Palsy, a nerve disorder, which affects her right arm such as loss of muscle function.
Manisha Ramadass secured a bronze medal in the women’s singles SU5 badminton event. She defeated Denmark’s Cathrine Rosengren 21-12, 21-8 at the LA Chapelle Arena Court 3. Manisha needed just 25 minutes to clinch the victory, showcasing her exceptional skill and composure on the court.Manisha had a chance to compete in the gold medal match, but she had lost to Thulasimathi Murugesan in the semis. But the teenager was able to make amends in the bronze medal match where she looked at ease.
Suhas Yathiraj’s silver glory
Indian para- shuttler Suhas Yathiraj also an IAS officer of 2007 batch secured his second successive Paralympics silver medal in men's singles SL4 after going down in straight games to favourite Lucas Mazur of France in the final on September 2.Lucas once again denied Suhas the glory, having beaten him in the Tokyo Paralympics final three years ago.
Born with a congenital deformity in his left ankle, which significantly affected his mobility, Suhas plays in SL4 category which is meant for athletes competing while standing with less severe impairment than in SL3.
Nithya Sre Sivan clinched bronze for India
Indian para-shuttler Nithya Sre Sivan clinched a bronze medal in the women's SH6 category at the ongoing Paris Paralympics 2024.
Nithya’s bronze medal took India’s total medal count at Paris 2024 to 15, marking only the second time in Paralympic history that India has crossed the 10-medal mark.
She secured a convincing victory over Indonesia’s Rina Marlina, winning 21-14, 21-6 on Court 3 at the La Chapelle Arena.
The SH6 is a newly introduced event that features athletes in the ‘short stature’ category.
Archery
Indian duo Sheetal Devi and Rakesh Kumar clinch bronze
The Indian archer duo, Sheetal Devi and Rakesh Kumar, staged a remarkable comeback after the heartbreak in the semifinals to claim the bronze medal. Sheetal, the only female armless archer at the Games, has become a worldwide sensation on Paralympics debut and this medal is yet another testament to her tenacity, while for Rakesh Kumar this is reward for years of sustained quality performances at international level.
With this victory, Sheetal became the first Indian woman to win an archery medal at the Paralympics. The 17-year old was diagnosed with a rare medical condition called phocomelia and was born with severely underdeveloped arms.The mixed compound open event involves archers shooting from a sitting position at a distance of 50 meters. This category is especially for archers with limited strength in their arms.
Rakesh, 39 also faced significant challenges as he suffered from a spinal cord injury in 2009 that left him wheelchair-bound.
Discus throw
Yogesh Kathuniya bags consecutive Paralympic silver
India's Yogesh Kathuniya clinched his second consecutive Paralympic silver medal in men's discus throw F-56 event with a season's best effort 42.22m at the ongoing Games on September 2.In his allotted 6 attempts, Yogesh threw his best in his first attempt. Yogesh is also a three-time Para World Championships medallist and a silver medal winner at the Asian Para Games last year in the same F56 category.
At the tender age of nine, Yogesh was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome, a rare neurological disorder that left him wheelchair-bound for two years. This condition, which attacks the body's nerves, robbed him from his ability to walk.The F-56 is a seating field event class for differently-abled athletes. People with amputations and spinal cord injuries take part in this classification.
