Bengaluru, May 27: At the 8th Indian Open International Para Athletics Championship 2026, two-time Paralympic gold medalist Sumit Antil made headlines by breaking his own world record in the men’s javelin F64 category. With an impressive throw of 74.82 meters, Antil added another glorious chapter to the history of para javelin throw competitions.
Antil’s latest achievement surpassed his previous record of 73.29 meters, which he set at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Para Games. The Tokyo 2020 gold medalist captured everyone’s attention on the second day of the competition with his outstanding performance, securing the gold medal.
Representing Haryana, Sumit achieved the top position with his best throw of 74.82 meters. Sandeep Sargar from Maharashtra won the silver medal with a throw of 62.88 meters, while Rajasthan’s Sandeep claimed bronze with a distance of 61.83 meters.
The day also showcased remarkable performances in various track and field events. In the men’s high jump T64 category, Paralympic medalist Praveen Kumar cleared a height of 2.00 meters to win gold, while Varun Singh Bhati secured silver by jumping 1.84 meters.
Tokyo Paralympic gold medalist Deepti Jeevanji excelled in the women’s 400 meters T20 event, finishing first with a time of 57.84 seconds. In the men’s 400 meters T47 category, Maharashtra’s Dilip Gavit won gold with a time of 47.64 seconds.
In the men’s javelin throw F46 competition, Haryana’s Rinku emerged victorious with a throw of 61.70 meters, surpassing Uttar Pradesh athletes Ajit Singh (60.72 meters) and Ravi Kumar (59.33 meters).
Another highlight of the day was the men’s high jump T63/T42 event, where renowned para-athletes Mariyappan Thangavelu and Shailesh Kumar competed against international participants from Thailand and the Philippines. This event showcased the increasing competitive level of the championship.
Haryana continued to excel in field events. Honey won the men’s javelin throw F37/F38 title with a throw of 60.70 meters, while Pranav Surma claimed gold in the men’s club throw F51 with a distance of 34.04 meters.
Among the female athletes, Gujarat’s Nimisha Chakkungal won gold in the women’s long jump T47 with an impressive leap of 5.43 meters, while Bhavanaben Ajab Chaudhary secured the women’s javelin throw F46 title with a throw of 37.01 meters.
Taking place in Bengaluru from May 26 to 28, this championship has gathered top para-athletes from across India, along with international competitors. It serves as a crucial platform ahead of upcoming international competitions.
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