CHENNAI: In another day of rich medal haul, para athletes took centrestage winning five gold medals at the Asian Para Games in Aichi-Nagoya on Wednesday. Simran Sharma, who won gold on Tuesday, added one more against her name in 100m T12 with a Games record timing. She had won gold in 200m earlier. High jumper Praveen Kumar launched himself to new heights in men's T44/64 high jump. Sachin Khilari also created a new Games record in men’s shot put (F46).
Gold medal did not stop with the three, Dilip Gavit, one of the star performers at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow earlier this year, once again claimed gold in 100m in T47 with Ayush Verma winning another gold in men’s F53 shot put.
If India won 20 medals on Tuesday at the Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletics stadium, on Wednesday they secured 22 medals with five gold. With this, athletics alone have won 42 medals as of now and are well poised to best medal haul this edition. They won 13 gold, 14 silver and 15 bronze. Last time, India had won 53 medals with 16 gold. Interestingly, the number of athletes in Nagoya was almost half of what was in Hangzhou three years ago. India fielded a 168-member athlete contingent and there are about 62 in para athletics. Last time, around the total number was 300 with about 123 in athletics. This time the selection was tighter.
Apart from athletics, para-archery, para-swimming, and powerlifting too produced medal-winning performances. India are currently positioned fifth with 14 gold (22 silver and 26 bronze) and a total of 62 medals.
Simran’s was an inspiring story. She was born six and half months premature and was in an incubator for weeks. She was visually impaired but that did not lead her to exasperation. She focused on athletics and later married her coach Naik Gajendra Singh. She had won silver in the last edition. She out-performed herself this time winning in Games record timing.
Gavit, the CWG star, lost his arm due to wrong treatment. There was a lack of medical facilities in Toran Dongri, the Maharashtra village he lived in, and that complicated matters. The coach who spotted him – Vaijnath Kale – who was working with the Maharashtra Athletic Association then. After spotting Gavit, with the help of the teacher in school, the coach convinced his parents to adopt him. Kale runs his own academy, VDK Sports Foundation, where both able bodied and specially-abled athletes train. Gavit is supported by Olympic Gold Quest and has prospered this season.
The success in athletics has led national para athletics chief coach Satyanarayana to dream even bigger this time. The coach told this daily from Nagoya that athletics should win around 60 medals and if everything goes off well, the number of gold should be more than the 13 in Hangzhou three years ago. “Athletics have been doing well and are expecting more medals on Thursday and Friday,” said the experienced coach.
He also spoke about how the para sport is doing well because of multiple reasons. Recognition to athletes, both nationally and internationally, support from the sports ministry and Sports Authority of India and private organizations like OGQ, Reliance, JSW Sports have helped the athletes. “There is no dearth of funds for training nowadays with government supporting athletes through various schemes and private bodies help with physios and masseurs and other support systems,” said Satyanarayana. Recognition from states also helped para athletes to pursue sports more diligently, the coach said.
Meanwhile, compound archers Sheetal Devi and Payal Nag ensured India won silver in women’s doubles. Sheetal, who competes without arms, has been a sensation ever since she started competing in para Games. Ravi Karthik Budigina, who competes among visually impaired swimmers, won second medal when he won silver in men's 100m backstroke (S13). Himanshu Nandal too won another medal on Wednesday.
In Para badminton, the competition is getting a bit tougher with other nations doing well, India have managed to assure medals in SL4 men’s competition with defending champion Suhas Yathiraj entering the semifinals. Naveen Sivakumar, and Abhijeet Sakhuja were the other two. Powerlifter Kasthuri Rajamani, who was afflicted with polio, won a silver in the women's 67kg category.
