Indian para athletes earn 17 quota places for Paris Games, record best ever finish at World Championship | More sports News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Led by Paralympic champion Sumit Antil’s world record show, the Indian team returned home from the Paris 2023 World Para Athletics Championships with 10 medals, that included three gold, and 17 quota places for the Paris 2024 Paralympics.
This was India’s best-ever show at a World Para Athletics Championships surpassing the mark at Dubai 2019 Worlds that had nine medals. India had five medals in World Para Athletics Championships London 2017.
Not just by medals, new stars emerged at Paris 2023 who registered their personal best, won their first ever medals and joined the seasoned names among the top performers. There were women winners too, who won both medals and quotas, to leave a mark at the championships.

Antil, who competed in his first major competition since his record-breaking performance at Tokyo 2020, put up an incredible show to add a Worlds gold to his Paralympic gold at the Charlety Stadium, Paris.
The 25-year-old from Sonepat went on to improve his own world record mark with a throw of 70.83m, finishing ahead of Australian Michal Burian (65.21) and Sri Lanka’s Dulan Kodithuwakku (64.06) in F44 categories.
“Being a world champion with a new world record is something I am really proud of!!! Thank you everyone for your love and support!!! JAI HIND,” tweeted the Paralympic and world champion, who has a silver from the Dubai 2019 Worlds.

Antil’s show was followed up by his fellow thrower Ajeet Singh and Rinku Hooda taking the 1-2 positions in men’s javelin F46 finals.
Singh impressed by hurling his javelin to 65.41m for a new championship record while Hooda was just 0.3m behind getting his season’s best. Dubai 2019 world champion Sundar Singh Gurjar settled for the fourth place, fetching India a quota place.
Maharashtra-based Sachin Khilari’s powerful throw of 16.21m in men’s shot put F46 was enough to fetch him his first international medal, a World title with an Asian record.

Apart from the javelin throwers, the high jumpers too made a mark with Paralympic medallists Nishad Kumar (T47), Shailesh Kumar (T63) and Praveen Kumar (T64) taking the silver and bronze medals.
Nishad, in fact, went on to set a new Asian record on his way taking the silver with an effort of 2.09m.
Among others, seasoned Ekta Bhyan (17.9 3m) claimed a bronze medal with an Asian record in women’s club throw F51, while Pooja emerged as the new name in women’s javelin F54 final with a personal best throw of 14.70m.
There were several others who missed out on the medal but earned India quota places for Paris 2024 Paralympcis – Thangavelu Mariyappan (Men’s High Jump T42), Navdeep (Men’s Javelin Throw F41), Soman Rana (Men’s Shot Put F57), Dilip Mahadu Gavit (Men’s 400m T46), Bhagyashri Mahavrao Jadhav (Women’s Shot Put F34), Kashish Lakra (Women’s Club Throw F51).