Sandeep sets sights on winning gold at Tokyo Paralympic Games

Amir Naqvi, Sports Editor

Winning a gold medal and making the country proud at the Tokyo Paralympic Games is the target of India’s top javelin thrower Sandeep Chaudhary.

Sandeep and Sumit Antil booked their berths for Tokyo 2020 by finishing in the top two spots in the men’s Javelin F64 finals at the Dubai 2019 World Para Athletics Championships, which is underway at the Dubai Club for People of Determination Stadium.

They bettered their own world records in their categories en route to booking their qualifying spots for India at the Paralympics. The bronze was bagged by Ukraine’s Roman Novak with 57.36m.

While Sandeep bettered his own world record of 65.80m in F44 category, Sumit sent the spear to a distance of 62.88m, also to improve his world record of 61.32 metres in F64 category achieved in Paris this August.

“Winning a gold with a world record is a definitely a big motivation to continue the process and keep doing the things we are doing now. Winning a gold medal at Tokyo 2020 is the ultimate goal,” said Sandeep while speaking to Gulf Today.

Asian Para Games champion Sandeep said he came to Dubai making a promise to himself to give his personal best and was overwhelmed to get it.

“I’m very satisfied with my performance as it was also my personal best. I came here with a promise to improve my distance. It was also a new world record in my category so I am really happy about it,” said the athlete, who hails from Haryana.

For Sumit, this was his first medal in a major championship and he wants to carry this momentum into the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics.

“My heart was beating fast when I stood on the podium. This is my first ever-biggest medal ceremony. I was a bit emotional too. This is the thing for what we have trained so hard all these years. This feeling can’t be expressed,” added the 21-year-old, who started his career in wrestling before taking up Para Athletics after suffering a motorbike accident in 2005.

Asked if the duo will take some time off and celebrate the Worlds medal, Sumit said: “We will take couple of days off. But no celebration. The preparation for Tokyo 2020 is already on and camps will start soon.”

Both the stars had set world records in their own categories at the Grosseto Para Athletics Grand Prix in June.

The F43-F44-F63-64 were clubbed into one category F64 for the Championships.

“We may be competitors on the field but we are like brothers. It doesn’t matter who wins gold and silver. The most important thing is that we both should get medals for India and the national anthem is played on the podium,” said Sumit.

Sandeep and Sumit, who are from Haryana, train together at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi.

“Sumit is my junior and is training with me. He is also doing a good job and has worked hard. The new world record will motivate him to do even better. I’m really happy that we made our country proud,” said Sandeep.

Congratulating the Indian duo for their scintillating shows, Paralympic Committee of India Interim President Gursharan Singh exuded confidence that the team will return home with more medals than London 2017.

Meanwhile, New Zealand’s Lisa Adams clinched gold in the women’s shot put F37 category.

Her victory at the 2019 World Para Athletics Championships came with a new world record of 14.70m, 18cm more than her previous best set in March in Auckland. China’s Na Mi took silver with 12.95m while Irina Vertinskaya of Russia with 11.78m claimed the bronze in the same category.

Algeria made it one-two in the men’s club throw F32. Lauhouari Bahlaz pocketed gold with 33.89m, while his teammate Walid Ferhah took silver with 33.54m. The bronze was bagged by Polish Maciej Sochal (31.90m).

China won their fourth gold medal in Dubai in the women’s long jump T11 with Guohua Zhou (4.92m). Silver went to Ukraine’s Yuliia Pavlenko (4.87m) and bronze to Spain’s Meritxell Playa (4.74m).