Weight of expectations

Carrying a back injury for more than a year, history-making Indian javelin thrower Sumit Antil’s path to Paralympics glory was paved with a ‘sweet sacrifice’ and several sleepless nights.

Once you reach a certain level, the responsibility on you increases, and all eyes are on you. Hopefully, after this, I’ll finally get some rest. I’ve been continuously on the field for the past two to three years — Sumit Antil

The 26-year-old faced a tough choice in the build-up to the Paralympics — give up his favourite sweets or put his career at risk due to rapid weight gain and a back injury that troubled him before the Asian Para Games in Hangzhou last year where he won a gold.

On the advice of his physio, Antil grudgingly gave up sweets, followed a strict training regimen and shed around 12 kilograms in just two months. His sacrifice paid off on Monday when the Sonipat-lad became the first Indian man and only the second Indian athlete to defend a Paralympics title, clinching gold in the F64 category with a record throw of 70.59m.

This new mark bettered his previous Paralympics best of 68.55m set in Tokyo Paralympics three years ago. “I’ve reduced around 10-12 kilos. My physio told me that the weight was putting pressure on my spine. So, I cut out sweets, which are my favourite, and focused on eating right,” he said.

Fixing his back by taking adequate rest is the first thing Antil will do after his return to India. “I was not at 100 per cent. I had to take a painkiller before my throw, and even during training, I haven’t been at my best. The first priority is to fix my back after we return to India because rest is crucial with the type of injury I have. With competitions so close, I haven’t been able to rest properly and have constantly taken precautions to protect my back. I’ve been careful with every movement to avoid aggravating it further,” he added.

He also thanked his coach (Arun Kumar) for always knowing what he needed, staying up nights to plan his schedule, and putting in a tremendous effort. He said his coach had worked even harder than him. “I also started doing cross-fit workouts, sprints, and trained hard. It’s been two years with my coach, and he’s like an elder brother to me. He knows exactly what I need and when I need it. I’ve seen him stay up nights to plan my schedule. My team has put in a tremendous effort for me, and I feel truly blessed to have them,” he said. “Once you reach a certain level, the responsibility on you increases, and all eyes are on you. Hopefully, after this, I’ll finally get some rest. I’ve been continuously on the field for the past two to three years.”

Message from Neeraj

A message from Neeraj Chopra worked wonders for Antil. “I did not speak personally with Neeraj bhai before the Paris Games. I got a message from Neeraj bhai through somebody (athlete manager of Antil). He said it’s very good atmosphere (in Paris) and it will be a good experience but don’t try anything new,” Antil said.

Deepthi wins bronze in 400m

India’s world champion Deepthi Jeevanji came up short of her best timing as she won the bronze medal in the women’s 400m T20 category. Deepthi, who turns 21 later this month, clocked 55.82 seconds to finish behind Yuliia Shuliar (55.16 seconds) of Ukraine and world record holder Aysel Onder (55.23) of Turkey. Deepthi had come into the Paralympics as a strong contender for the gold after a top-place finish at the World Para-Athletics Championships in May in Japan where she had clocked the-then world record of 55.07 seconds.

Avani misses out in 50m rifle 3P

Ace Indian shooter Avani Lekhara missed out on a second medal at the Games and finished fifth after putting up a strong fight in the final of the women’s 50m rifle 3 positions SH1 competition. The 22-year-old Avani shot a total of 420.6. Germany’s Natascha Hiltrop won gold with a total of 456.5, Slovakian Veronika Vadovicova claimed silver with 456.1 and China’s Zhang shot 446.0 to bag bronze.

Bhagyashri finishes fifth in F34 shot put

Bhagyashri Jadhav finished fifth in the women’s shot put F34 event. Jadhav, making her second appearance at the Paralympics, produced a throw of 7.28m. China’s Lijuan Zou won gold with a season’s best of 9.14m while Poland’s Lucyna Kornobys secured silver with an effort of 8.33m.

Archer Pooja misses semis berth

Archer Pooja Jatyan slipped from a two-set lead to go down to heavyweight Wu Chunyan of China 4-6 in the women’s recurve open quarterfinals. Earlier, Pooja showed promise, beating Yagmur Sengul of Turkey in straight sets to storm into the quarterfinals.

Transgender runner fails to reach final

Italian transgender athlete Valentina Petrillo failed to reach the final of the women’s T12 400m for visually impaired runners after finishing third in her semifinal. The 50-year-old ran a personal best 57.58 seconds in the second semifinal. agencies