Sports News | Star Para Javelin Thrower Sumit Antil Looks to Better World Record in Asian Para Games
Get latest articles and stories on Sports at LatestLY. A Paralympic gold and world title already in his kitty, accidental para javelin thrower Sumit Antil now aims to better his world record en route to a yellow metal at the fourth Asian Para Games to be held in Hangzhou, China from October 22 to 28.
New Delhi, Oct 12 (PTI) A Paralympic gold and world title already in his kitty, accidental para javelin thrower Sumit Antil now aims to better his world record en route to a yellow metal at the fourth Asian Para Games to be held in Hangzhou, China from October 22 to 28.
Sumit, who won gold in men's javelin throw F64 category at the Tokyo Paralympics, didn't become a javelin thrower by choice as wrestling was his first love. But a terrible motorbike accident in 2015 completely changed his life, indeed for good.
He is also the reigning world champion in men's javelin throw F64 category. He won the gold with a world record throw of 70.83m at the 2023 World Para Athletics Championships in Paris.
"I will try to return with the gold (at the Asian Para Games). My aim will be to break the world record which I created in the World Championships in Paris this year," Sumit told PTI on the sidelines of the send-off ceremony of para athletes for Hangzhou Asian Games, which was also attended by Sports Minister Anurag Thakur.
But the journey was far from rosy for Sumit, a graduate from Ramjas College of Delhi University.
At the age of 17, Sumit's motorbike was hit by a speeding tractor from behind while he was returning home from tuition, resulting in amputation of his left leg and abandoning his dream of becoming a wrestler.
But he didn't give up his dream of becoming an athlete and took to para sports when he learnt about it two years later and got his initial inspiration from double Paralympic gold medallist javelin thrower Devendra Jhajharia.
"When I learnt about para games, I searched about Devendra Jhajharia bhai (brother), he was the lone gold medallist that time. I started javelin in 2017, before my accident I used to do wrestling. I used to wrestle in my village akhada and the strength which I gained from wrestling has helped me a lot in javelin," Sumit said.
"I had a bike accident, I was going to tuition on a bike and a tractor hit my bike from behind and after that doctors had to amputate my left leg."
Sumit lost his father Ram Kumar when he was just seven. But his father's employer Indian Air Force provided him the initial support after his accident.
"I have full support of my family. My family is stable from the beginning but not that they can afford such costly prosthetic legs. My father was in Air Force, they helped me in getting an artificial leg and after that TOPS (Target Olympic Podium Scheme) and the federation supported me."
Sumit is married and he has got many offers from private and public sector undertakings but he is not taking up any job in his pursuit of another Paralympic medal in Paris next year.
"I got many job offers but I am not working right now. I have delayed the job part a bit because my total focus is on 2024 Paris Paralympics. I will try to win a gold there as well," he said.
India will be represented by 309 athletes -- 196 male and 113 female -- in the Hangzhou Asian Para Games.
In the last Asian Para Games, India secured 72 medals but the nation is pinning hopes on bettering that number and crossing 100-medal figure in the upcoming edition.
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)