Sharad rises to the occasion to pluck gold with a record

Jakarta, October 11 

India took over the podium in the men’s high jump T42/63 category, claiming all the medals up for grabs with defending champion Sharad Kumar smashing two records to snare a second successive gold in the Asian Para Games.

The 26-year-old World Championships silver medallist bettered the Asian as well as the Games record with a jump of 1.90m to claim the top honours. The T42/63 classification covers lower limb deficiency, leg length difference, impaired muscle power and impaired range of movement.

The silver was claimed by Rio Paralympics bronze medallist Varun Bhati (1.82m) and the bronze went to the Rio gold medallist Thangavelu Mariyappan (1.67m). Bhati’s jump was his season’s best effort.

Sharad, who hails from Bihar, suffered paralysis in his left leg at the age of two after being administered a spurious polio medicine at the local eradication drive. He has been a former world No. 1. 

Javelin thrower Sundar Singh Gurjar won the silver in the men’s F46 category while two-time Paralympics gold medallist Devendra Jhajharia finished fourth. Rinku picked up the bronze in the same event. The F46 category of disability covers upper limb deficiency, impaired muscle power or impaired range of movement.

India also logged the bronze in the men’s 400m T13 category with Avnil Kumar claiming the third position. The T13 classification deals with visual impairment. In the javelin throw event, Gurjar notched up the silver with an effort of 61.33m in his fifth attempt. Gurjar trained for 22 days in Finland before the Games, an exercise that was backed by the Sports Authority of India. Rinku recorded a personal best of 60.92m for the bronze, while the gold went to Sri Lanka’s Dinesh Herath who smashed the Games as well as the Asian record with a throw of 61.84m.

However, it was disappointment for Jhajharia, a silver winner in the last Para Asian Games in Incheon. The veteran Indian, a Khel Ratna awardee and arguably the greatest Paralympian of the country, produced his season’s best throw of 59.17m but finished well outside the medal bracket.

In the men’s 400m, Avnil Kumar clocked 52s to fetch the bronze. The gold in this event was won by Iran’s Omid Zarifsanayei, who took 51.41s to complete the race, while Thailand’s Songwut Lamsan won the silver. Kumar lost the silver to Lamsan by a fraction of a second. — PTI

Medal Winners

Sharad Kumar, gold, men’s high jump T42/63 

Varun Bhati, silver, men’s high jump T42/63

Thangavelu Mariyappan, bronze, men’s high jump T42/63 

Sundar Singh Gurjar, silver, javelin throw men’s F46 

Rinku, bronze, javelin throw men’s F46

Avnil Kumar, bronze, men’s 400m T13 

Anandan Gunasekram, silver, men’s 400m T44, 62/64 

Vinay Kumar, bronze men’s, 400m T44, 62/64

Sandeep Maan, bronze, men’s 400m T45/46/47

Jayanti Behera, silver, women’s 400m T45/46/47