Glasgow, Jul 29 (PTI): India scripted history in para athletics at the Commonwealth Games, securing a historic one-two finish in the men’s 100m T47 final as Dilip Mahadu Gavit won the gold and Mohammed Basil Morssinganakath claimed the silver.
Gavit clocked a Games record and season-best time of 10.71 seconds to take the top spot, while Basil produced his season-best 10.83 seconds to finish second in a closely-fought race.
England’s Kevin Santos completed the podium with 10.85 seconds to win bronze.
The gold was India’s third at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, following Mirabai Chanu’s victory in the women’s 48kg weightlifting event and Sharmila Dhankar’s triumph in the women’s shot put F57 para athletics category.
The two medals lifted India to eighth spot in the standings with three gold, nine silver and three bronze.
Sagar, Devender miss podium =================== India’s para discus throwers Sagar Thayat and Devender Kumar missed out on medals, finishing sixth and seventh respectively in the men’s F42-44/F61-64 final.
Competing in the F43 category, Sagar produced an Asian record and his season’s best throw of 51.79m, while Devender, in the F44 category, registered a season’s best effort of 48.20m in the 10-man field.
The F42-44 and F61-64 classifications are for athletes with lower-limb impairments in field events. Athletes in the F42-44 classes compete without prostheses, while those in the F61-64 classes compete using prostheses.
Aiming Higher ========= After his historic win, Gavit admitted that the start was not ideal but he grew stronger through the race.
“The start was a bit slow, but then I gradually picked up pace and it felt great to win,” Gavit said.
The final was held on a rain-soaked track, making conditions difficult for the sprinters.
“The weather was not good and I had difficulty getting my timing right. The body becomes slow and it is difficult to warm up,” he said.
Despite the success Gavit is not ready to relax and is already looking ahead to the LA28 Paralympis.
“I am not thinking about doing a job now, my target is to win medals,” he said. “I am sure I will do better at the upcoming Para Asian Games in September-October in Japan and then the Paralympics.” The men’s 100m T47 is a para athletics sprint event for athletes with a unilateral arm impairment or absence, affecting strength, movement or coordination on one side.
Against all odds ========== But behind Gavit’s gold medal lies a journey shaped by adversity, limited facilities and a chance discovery by his coach.
Born in a rural area of Maharashtra, Gavit lost his left hand after medical facilities were unavailable at the time.
With limited access to training infrastructure in his hometown, athletics seemed an unlikely path until coach Vaijanth Kale spotted his potential.
“I saw him at school and then I convinced his parents for training,” Kale said after the triumph.
“He did not know anything about para competitions. He was competing in able-bodied events and was doing well.” Khelo India medalist ============= Before moving into para athletics, Gavit had already made his mark against able-bodied competitors, winning two medals at the Khelo India Youth Games in Pune and another medal at the Under-18 level.
Kale believes Gavit’s talent was evident from the beginning.
“He would do well in able-bodied meets. The problem in rural areas is that there are no facilities. He did not get proper medical facilities, which led to his left hand being amputated,” he said.
Training in Nashik helped Gavit take his career forward, eventually bringing him to the biggest stage. PTI APA AM TAP UNG
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