Para athletes: Sumit Antil, Sheetal Devi win top para-sports honors in Delhi
New Delhi: World record holder, world champion and 2020 Paralympic Games gold medalist javelin thrower Sumit Antil in the F64 category and recent Arjuna Awardee and double Asian Para Games gold medalist archer Sheetal Devi won the prestigious Best Man and Best Won the female athlete crown. An awards show was organized in Delhi on Saturday afternoon.
Sumit, who threw the javelin 73.29m for his world record at the recent Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, China, and Sheetal Devi, who won two gold and a silver in the same event in compound archery, were among the 250 nominations received from many people. The first Radiant Differently Abled Sports Awards featured 20 federations across 23 award categories.
India’s first Paralympic gold medalist and freestyle swimmer Muralikant Petkar, who won gold at the 1972 Paralympics, was also honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award. The Indian Blind Chess team, which won gold and multiple medals at the Hangzhou Para Games, won the Major Dhyan Chand Team of the Year Award presented by hockey wizard Dhyan Chand’s son and former Hockey World Cup winner Ashok Kumar.
Addressing the gathering, Ashok said, “I am honored to be a part of today’s memorable event to honor our special athletes. These award ceremonies are to encourage our athletes who give their best for our country in their respective fields. I congratulate everyone.” Special athletes and federations who have worked so hard. It was my father’s dream that the athletes who win medals for the pride of our country should one day become the pride of the country.”
Sharing her thoughts, Sheetal Devi, the first and only para-athlete without an arm to win, said, “I feel extremely happy to win the Best Female Athlete award. A year and a half ago, I picked up a bow for the first time.” When I first joined the academy, I never thought I could play this game, but my coaches never lost faith in me and supported me the whole time. I have qualified for the Olympics and I will work even harder to win a medal for my country. ,
Renowned para-badminton coach Gaurav Khanna, who has trained names like Pramod Bhagat, Abu Hubaida and Palak Kohli, won the best coach award. His Gaurav Khanna Excellia Badminton Academy in Lucknow also won the Best Academy award.
“The athletes have done their job on the field and now the time has come to recognize their success,” Khanna said on the spot.
An eminent jury including Olympic medalist Yogeshwar Dutt and national para athletics coach Satyanarayana decided the awards.
The advisory committee included household names like Ajitpal Singh, Ashwin Nachappa, Rohit Rajpal, MSK Prasad and others.
Apart from the best female and male athlete awards, some unique awards were also given away. For example, double Paralympic medalist shooter Singhraj Adhana was awarded the ‘Most Stylish Athlete’, while Sundar Singh Gurjar was awarded the ‘Comeback of the Year’ title for his world record achievement in the F-46 javelin at the Asian Para Games. to be done.
