May 25th 2024.
India's World Para Athletics Championships journey came to a remarkable end as they won a total of 17 medals, including six golds. This secured them the sixth spot in the overall standings. The final day of competitions saw Delhi sprinter Simran Sharma claim India's sixth gold medal in the women's 200m T12 event, with a personal best time of 24.95 seconds. She improved upon her previous personal best of 25.16 seconds, winning the gold by a significant margin.
The T12 category is specifically designed for athletes with vision impairment. Along with Simran's gold, India also secured a silver and bronze medal in this event, with Darlenys De La Severino from Dominica and Lorraine Gomes De Aguiar respectively. This amazing performance has made this India's best-ever performance in the World Para Athletics Championships, surpassing their previous record of 10 medals in the 2023 edition in Paris.
China claimed the top spot in the overall standings with a whopping 87 medals, while Brazil, Uzbekistan, Great Britain, and the United States followed in second, third, fourth, and fifth place respectively. India's other five gold medalists include Deepthi Jeevanji, Sachin Khilari, Sumit Antil, Thangavelu Mariyappan, and Ekta Bhyan. These athletes have made their country proud with their incredible performances.
Simran's journey to becoming a top para athlete has not been easy. Hailing from Burari village in Delhi, she was born prematurely with impaired vision. She was kept in an incubator for seven months after her pre-term birth. However, her determination and hard work have paid off, making her one of the best para athletes in the country. At the Hangzhou Para Asian Games last year, Simran won a silver medal each in the 100m and 200m events. Her husband and coach Gajendra Singh, who is with the Indian Army and hails from Ghaziabad, has been her biggest support throughout her journey.
On the final day of the championships, two other Indian athletes also secured bronze medals. Preethi Pal won a bronze in the women's 100m T35 category, her second medal of the championships after winning bronze in the 200m event on May 19. Navdeep Singh also added another bronze in the men's javelin throw F41 category with a season-best performance of 42.82m.
In para sports, athletes are classified into groups based on their physical abilities to ensure fair competition. The F35 category is for athletes with coordination impairments, while the F41 event is for those with short stature. However, there was a controversy surrounding the men's javelin throw F46 event, where Rinku Hooda and Ajeet Singh initially finished third and fourth respectively. India lodged a protest against the second-place finisher Dinesh Priyantha Herath from Sri Lanka, stating that he was ineligible to compete in the category. After a favorable decision, Rinku was upgraded to second place, and Ajeet was handed the bronze, making it a silver and bronze for India.
Head coach Satyanarayan expressed his satisfaction with India's overall performance, stating that they had met their target of winning a certain number of medals, although they had aimed for seven gold medals. He also mentioned that para athletics and para sports, in general, are growing in the country. He further added that India's performance in the Tokyo Paralympics was their best so far, but they are expected to do even better in the Paris Paralympics this year.
It is worth mentioning that India's first-ever medal in the World Para Athletics Championships was won by the legendary Devendra Jhajharia in the 2013 edition in Lyon, France. Devendra is currently the president of the Paralympic Committee of India. This year, India is being represented by 40 athletes, including eight women, in the championships. This remarkable performance by the Indian team has proved that they are a force to be reckoned with in the world of para athletics.
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