Sports: Inspired by the country’s armed forces and cricket star Virat Kohli, a determined Kumar Nitesh won a gold medal on his debut at the Paralympic Games. His win was followed by stellar performances from javelin throw champion Sumit Antil and India’s para-badminton players, making it a remarkable day for India. These achievements have kept India on the path to a record-breaking medal haul. Nitesh, 29, an engineering graduate from IIT-Mandi, lost his left leg in a train accident in 2009. He won the men’s singles SL3 category, beating Britain’s Daniel Bethell 21-14, 18-21, 23-21 in a final that lasted over an hour. “I have lost against him in such conditions and didn’t want to make the same mistakes… I told myself I should keep fighting for each point,” Nitesh said about his opponent. Sumit Antil’s record-breaking performance
In the evening, Sumit Antil became the first Indian man to defend a Paralympic title by winning the javelin throw F64 final with a Games record of 70.59m. The 26-year-old from Sonipat in Haryana bettered his previous Paralympic best of 68.55m set in Tokyo. His world record is 73.29m. The F64 category comprises athletes with lower limb disabilities who compete with prosthetics or have a difference in leg length.
Before Antil’s performance, Nitesh’s gold was celebrated along with silver medals from discus thrower Yogesh Kathuniya (F56) and para-shuttlers Thulasimathi Murugesan (SU5) and Suhas Yathiraj (SL4). Manisha Ramdas also bagged a bronze medal in para-badminton (SU5).
Yogesh Kathuniya wins silver
Yogesh Kathuniya won his second consecutive Paralympics silver medal in discus throw with a season’s best effort of 42.22m. The 27-year-old cleared the distance in his first attempt, adding to the silver he won in Tokyo three years ago. Kathuniya was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome at the age of nine, which caused muscle weakness and paralysis. With the support of his mother Meena Devi, who learnt physiotherapy to help him recover, he overcame these challenges.
