Para Worlds: No medals for India on disappointing Day 2
Men’s javelin F57, 100m T37 and long jump T47 all had two Indians in the final, but the field was too strong for them
New Delhi: After claiming three medals on the opening day of the competition, Indians had a disappointing day at the World Para Athletics Championships here on Sunday with all their six finalists finishing medalless.
The men’s F57 javelin, T37 100m and T47 long jump all had two Indians in the final, but the gulf in quality with the world’s best was glaring.
Turkey’s two-time Paralympic and world champion Mohammad Khalvandi won the F57 javelin title with a personal best of 53.30m on a windless, humid evening. Uzbekistan’s Yorkinbek Odilov, the reigning Paralympics champion, took silver with a personal best of 52.06m.
Iran’s Amanolah Papi, the current Asian Para Games champion and a 2017 world champion, came third with a season’s best of 51.55m. Only the three medallists breached the 50m mark. Three competitors recorded their personal bests and four their season’s best.
India’s Parveen Kumar, who was eighth at the Paris Paralympics, again ended eighth with a season’s best throw of 41.92m. Hem Chandra, the other Indian, was tenth with a PB of 41.17m.
In the 100m, India’s Rakeshbhai Bhatt and Shreyansh Trivedi took the last two spots – seventh and eighth – clocking 11.88secs and 12.18secs respectively. Brazilian Ricardo Gomes de Mendonca won gold clocking a championship record 11.16secs. His compatriot Christian Gabriel Luiz Da Costa took silver with a PB of 11.23secs. Indonesia’s Saptoyogo Purnomo took bronze with a season’s best of 11.29secs.
In the men’s T47 long jump, Cuba’s Robiel Yankiel Sol Cervantes took gold with an opening jump of 7.57m. Russia’s Nikita Kotukov, competing under a neutral flag, won silver with a season’s best of 7.21m. China’s Wang Hao was third with 7.19m, his season’s best.
India’s Vikas ended a disappointing sixth with a best jump of 6.96m that came in his final attempt. Compatriot Ajay Singh finished tenth (6.31m).
In the morning session, Bulgaria’s Ruzhdi claimed his sixth successive gold medal in the men’s shot put F55 event, setting a world record of 12.94m.
The 34-year-old Ruzhdi logged his best effort on his final try, improving upon his own mark of 12.69m set in the World Championships in Paris two years ago. Serbia’s Nebojsa Duric had six attempts over 12m, while Ruzdhi had five throws better than the best of 12.52m that Duric produced. Three-time Paralympics bronze medallist Lech Stoltman of Poland was third with a season’s best of 12.02m.
Kenya’s internal row
Kenya’s 24-member delegation has threatened to pull out of the championship citing internal issues with their federation. It has been learnt that the daily allowance of athletics has been slashed from $200 to $60 by the federation, leading to the strife.
“They’ve threatened to boycott. It’s their internal matter. That’s all we are aware of,” a Paralympic Committee of India member said. “We’re not aware if they’ve pulled out. We haven’t been informed of their decision, it’s their internal matter,” a World Para Athletics official said.
