India achieve best-ever medal haul at World Para-Athletics Championships on penultimate day in New Delhi

The Indian contingent made history in the World Para-Athletics Championships in New Delhi on Saturday by surpassing their highest medal tally in a single edition of the prestigious competition. India had finished sixth in the Kobe last year after winning a total of 17 medals, including six gold. On the penultimate day of the ongoing edition at New Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, that tally rose to 18, with India winning six gold and as many silver and bronze medals.

This was after Praveen Kumar collected bronze in men’s high jump and defending champion Ekta Bhyan won silver in the club throw event on Day 8 of the event.

India’s third medal on the day came in men’s shot put F57 category with 42-year-old army man Soman Rana bagging the silver with a season’s best of 14.69m. The Hangzhou Asian Games silver medallist’s best throw came in the fourth attempt.

Paris Paralympic gold-medallist Praveen, a favourite for the top spot in men’s T64 high jump, recorded a season’s best of 2.00 metres but it was not not good enough on the day as the star Indian para athlete finished behind Uzbekistan’s 2018 Asian Para Games gold medallist Temurbek Giyazov who recorded a personal best of 2.03m to take gold.

Jonathan Broom-Edwards of Great Britain took the silver at 2.0m.

The 37-year-old Briton finished ahead of Praveen as he made a clear jump in his first attempt while the Indian did it on his second.

On a day when India failed to win a gold, Praveen seemed to be in pain as he shortened his run-up and grimaced after every attempt. He crossed 1:97m with ease, but with the bar set at 2.0m, he failed in his first attempt before clearing it in the second. He then fluffed all three attempts at 2.03m.

“I have been nursing a hip injury for the the last 10-12 days, which is why I shortened my run-up,” said the 22-year-old.

“I am not at all happy with my performance. I was attempting 2.07m in training and I suffered a stretch injury in my hip. Every time I was attempting a takeoff, I was having discomfort. Even as I stand here I am having pain in the affected leg,” said the T64 athlete, who has a unilateral below-knee limb deficiency.

The other Indian in the fray, the 22-year-old Banti finished sixth with a personal-best jump o1 1.87m.

“He is shaping up well. If he takes care of his body I’m sure he will cross 2.00m and be in contention for the 2026 Asian Para Games in Japan,” added Praveen.

Praveen added that his injury should heal in 1-2 months as he set sight on defending the the Asian Para Games gold.

“I am disappointed because the World Para Athletics are taking place in India for the first time and I could not give my personal best (of 2.08m). I had been consistently doing 2.05m in training before injury and had a target of 2.10m, but things changed after the injury,” added Praveen.

Bhyan settles for silver in F51 club throw

Bhyan saw the positive side of it after failing to defend her 2024 Worlds club thrower F51 gold here with her season’s best of 19.80m in the sixth and final attempt.

Ukraine’s Zoia Ovsii came up with a massive heave of 24.03m in her fifth attempt to take the gold, while Neutral Para Athlete Ekaterina Potapova (18.60m) bagged the bronze.

The 40-year-old Indian, who has a personal best of 21.66, was outdone by an athlete who has been the undisputed leader for several years, winning three World Championships gold and the top-podium finish at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

“I am super happy, This is my third Worlds medal and I am glad that I could repeat my performance. Now looking forward to the 2028 LA Paralympics,” said the wheelchair-bound Ekta.

She competes in the F51 category for athletes with severe impairments of muscle power and range of movement in their limbs and trunk, with no trunk or leg function, but with full function in their shoulders, arms, and hands.

“The performance here was okay. The humidity was really bad and it’s very difficult to regulate the body temperature in this weather,” said the 40-year-old gold medallist at the 2018 Jakarta Asian Para Games.

“The target was to win gold. I worked a lot on my skill and strength in the last one year. It’s a sigh of relief. It comes after the (F51) event was not included in the Paris Paralympics,” said the Hisar para athlete.

Soman Rana takes silver

Army man Rana, who lost his right leg in a mine blast in 2006, won the biggest medal of his international career, securing silver in men’s shot put F57 category with a throw of 14.69m, while the other two Indians Hokato Hotozhe Sema (14.35m) and Shubham Juyal (13.72m) finished sixth and seventh respectively in the event, which has individuals with significant leg length differences or limb deficiencies.

Yasin Khosravi, 33, maintained his dominance in the event with a hat-trick of World Para Athletics Championships titles with a world record throw of 16.60m. All of Khosravi’s throws were above 15m, while his sixth and last throw simply left the spectators awestruck.

With PTI inputs

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