Harvinder Singh created history by becoming the first Indian archer to win gold at the Paralympics after world shot put champion Sachin Sarjerao Khilari’s record-breaking silver, as the country’s athletes continued to defy expectations in their best-ever performance at the Games. The 33-year-old Harvinder, who became the first Indian to win an archery medal at the Games with a bronze medal three years ago in Tokyo, surpassed the colour of his medal in a superlative performance of five consecutive victories.
He defeated Poland's Lukasz Ciszek 6-0 in a one-sided final to create history for himself and the country. The Haryana archer had both his legs affected when he was a toddler due to dengue fever treatment which affected him adversely.
Earlier, the 34-year-old Khilari had completed a throw of 16.32 metres in his second attempt in the F46 category final, bettering his own Asian record of 16.30 metres, which he set in May when he won gold at the World Para Athletics Championships in Japan.
Their performance has lifted India to 15th place overall with four gold, eight silver and ten bronze medals.
Canada's Greg Stewart defended his gold at the Tokyo Paralympic Games with a throw of 16.38 metres, while Croatia's Luka Bakovic took bronze with 16.27 metres.
Khilari's silver was also India's 11th track medal. It was the first time they had won one gold, five silver and two bronze medals in Tokyo.
Late on Tuesday night, India won silver and bronze in the men's high jump (T63) and javelin throw (F46) after Deepthi Jeevanji won bronze in the women's 400 metres (T20). It was India's best day of the Games.
Sharad Kumar and Mariyappan Thangavelu won silver and bronze respectively in the men's high jump T63, while Ajeet Singh and Sundar Singh Gurjar secured second and third place in the javelin throw final F46.
Classification F46 is intended for athletes with limited arm strength, reduced muscle power or limited passive range of motion in the arms, where athletes have to compete while standing.
Khilari, who hails from a farming family in Karagani village in Sangli district of Maharashtra, met with an accident in his youth. The injury resulted in gangrene of the skin on his elbow and muscle atrophy. Even after several surgeries, his arm never recovered. He also lost his mother when he was young.
“I wanted to win the gold medal, but it didn't happen. It's my best distance, but I'm not satisfied. I feel I could have done better. It wasn't my day,” Khilari said of his performance on Wednesday.
Simran enters 100m semi-final
World champion sprinter Simran reached the semi-finals of the 100m (T12) event with a season best time of 12.17sec. The runner was visually impaired as a baby after being born prematurely.
After Wednesday's heat race, she was second overall behind reigning Paralympic champion and world record holder Omara Durand of Cuba, who also ran a season record of 11.87, in the field of 16 competitors.
The semi-final will take place on Thursday.
Tokyo silver medalist Bhavina eliminated
India's challenge in the women's singles table tennis competition came after Tokyo edition silver medallist Bhavinaben Patel lost 3-1 to China's Ying Zhou in the Class 4 quarterfinals.
Bhavinaben, who became India's first-ever medallist in the sport with her silver at the Tokyo Paralympic Games, fought hard in the first two matches and even won the third, but eventually lost to her Chinese rival 12-14, 9-11, 11-8, 6-11.
Earlier, the other female singles player in class 3, Sonalben Patel, lost in the round of 16 to Croatia's Andela Muzinic Vincetic.
Bhavinaben was diagnosed with polio when she was one year old.
She competes in Class 4, which is intended for athletes in wheelchairs with functional arms and hands.
No medals in shooting
In Chateauroux, Indian shooters Nihal Singh and Rudransh Khandelwal failed to reach the final of the mixed 50m pistol (SH1) competition.
Nihal, the 2023 World Championship bronze medallist, finished 19th with a total score of 522 over six runs.
The 17-year-old Rudransh, who lost his left leg in a freak accident at the age of eight, was competing at the Paralympic Games for the first time. He scored 517 points and finished 22nd in the qualifying round.
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