It often begins with a roar. The javelin is raised above shoulder level, eyes focused towards the landing field, the mind visualising the process that needs to be followed to send the spear as far as possible.
Sumit Antil wins javelin gold in Asian Para Games. (X Image)
There’s a quick jog on the spot to get the body in motion, and then Sumit Antil charges down the runway, each stride measured, before launching his javelin into the distance.
Antil, just like any elite athlete, is a stickler for routine. He follows the same procedure every time before throwing the spear farther than any other athlete has in the men’s javelin F64 category. The repetition of his throwing routine often ends with a roar, to celebrate a big attempt that comes with the promise of a gold medal.
On Friday, in the 2026 Asian Para Games at the Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium, he let out that throaty roar after his second attempt. He knew that his 72.46m throw was good enough to win him gold at Aichi-Nagoya.
The celebration that followed too was practiced bravado. By now, Antil is well accustomed to marching towards the stands to pick up the national flag and pose for photographs, with a thumbs up or a fist bump. On Friday, he alternated between both.
Posing alongside him were compatriots Mahendra Gurjar (silver) and Sandip Sargar (bronze), as the Indians having swept the medals in the men’s javelin F42-F44/F61-F64 event.
This was a result that summed up another fruitful day for the Indian contingent, as the total medal haul went better than their previous best showing. At the delayed 2023 Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, China, India won a total of 108 medals. At the ongoing edition in Japan, which draws to a close on Saturday, the tally has touched 114, with a record 30 gold, 35 silver and 49 bronze medals.
On Friday alone, India won 26 more medals.
Antil’s latest medal though comes with another achievement. The 28-year-old from Haryana has won every major medal his sport has to offer. He holds the world, continental and Asian Para Games record. He is the reigning two-time Paralympic champion and has won three consecutive World Championships gold medals.
Coming to Japan, he was looking to defend his Asian Para Games crown for the first time, after finishing fifth in his debut edition in 2018.
He was the overwhelming favourite to find that missing piece in his trophy cabinet.
Antil’s gold, however, was one of nine won by the Indians on Friday. The last gold won on the day came through Pranav Soorma in the men’s club throw F51 final, with compatriot Dharambir Nain taking the bronze. This was Soorma’s second gold medal at this Asian Para Games, having won the discus throw F51-53 event.
Para shooter Mona Agarwal also picked up her second gold medal in Aichi-Nagoya, winning the R8 women’s 50m rifle 3 Positions SH1 event, days after she won the R2 10m air rifle SH1 final. The double wins have also brought her the honour of being India’s flag-bearer, along with men’s T47 high jump and long jump gold medallist Nishad Kumar, at the closing ceremony.
Sandeep won two medals on Friday. He started the day winning gold in the men’s 400m T64 race, with Ajay Kumar taking bronze, before finishing third in the men’s 100m T44 event.
Haney clinched gold with a world record throw in the men’s javelin throw F37/38 final, after winning bronze in the F37 discus event, while in para archery, Harvinder Singh and Vijay Sundi won gold in the men’s recurve doubles event. In the women’s recurve doubles, Pooja Jatyan and Bhawna Choudhary won silver.
Three gold medals in badminton
Three gold medals came from badminton events – Naveen Sivakumar won the men’s singles SL4 final, Thulasimathi Murugesan and Manasi Joshi won the women’s doubles SL3-SU5 event, and Nitesh Kumar beat Pramod Bhagat in an all-India final in the men’s singles SL3.
Also Read – Asian Para Games: India cross 100 medal tally, achieve best-ever gold haul after Thulasimathi-Manasi’s badminton triumph
Thulasimathi also clinched silver in the women’s singles SU5, and in the mixed doubles SL3-SU5 event with Nitesh Kumar. Nithya Sre Sivan also won silver in the women’s singles SH6.
There were plenty of more medals coming in athletics. Pramod Bijarnia (men’s 1,500m T46) and Nimisha Suresh (women’s long jump T47) took silver, while Navdeep Singh (men’s javelin F40/41) and Rakeshbhai Bhatt (men’s 200m T37) took bronze.
In table tennis, Jehan Madan and Shubham Wadhwa won bronze in the men’s doubles class MD4, while para swimmer Himanshu Nandal won bronze in the 100m freestyle S11.
