World Para Athletics C'ships: Shailesh Kumar earns India first gold medal in high-jump, Deepthi settles for silver

New Delhi [India], September 27 (ANI): Indian para-athlete Shailesh Kumar secured the country's first gold medal at the ongoing World Para Athletics Championships in New Delhi on Saturday in the T63 high jump competition.

Shailesh secured the best jump of 1.91 m, securing not only the gold medal but also setting a championship record, as per ESPN.

The podium was completed by the USA's Paralympic champion Ezra Frech (1.85 m). India's Varun Singh Bhatti jumped 1.85 m as well and got the bronze medal.

Another Indian participating in the competition, Rahul, finished fourth, with the best jump of 1.78 m.

India's Paralympic bronze medalist from last year and world champion from the 2024 Kobe World C'ships, Deepthi Jeevanji, failed to defend her title in the women's 400 m T20 category, ending with a silver medal with timing of 55.16 seconds.

So far, India has won three medals at the competition, one gold, silver and bronze each. At the time of writing, as per Olympics.com, China is at the top with two gold and two silver medals.

The highlight for the Indian contingent during the morning session of day one was the qualification of the runner Deepthi in the finals of the women's 400m T20 event. She qualified for the medal round in first place in the second heat. She took 58.35 seconds, which was her season's best performance at that time.

The New Delhi 2025 World Para Athletics Championships, which commenced on September 27, will continue till October 5, and will bring together more than 2,200 para-athletes from 104 countries at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.

Featuring 186 medal events, it is the largest Para-Athletics meet in Indian history and serves as a key qualifier for the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympics, showcasing India's commitment to accessibility and sporting excellence.

Previously before this edition, India had won a total of 45 medals at World Para Athletics C'ships, including 13 gold, 15 silver and 17 bronze medals. During the last edition at Kobe last year, India secured a sixth-place finish with 17 medals, including six gold, five silver and six bronze. (ANI)

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