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Indian Paralympic gold medallist Sumit Antil has shared his goal of reaching the 80-metre mark in javelin throw in the further years. This follows his remarkable achievement at the Paris Paralympics, where he won his 2nd consecutive gold medal with a record breaking throw of 70.59m.
The Tokyo Paralympics gold medallist dominated the F64 javelin final in Paris in this year's September, shattering the Paralympic record 2 times to claim the top position on the podium. Antil spoke at the GoSports Foundation Annual Sports Awards Night 2024, which was held in Mumbai on Monday.
According to a press release, Antil had said earlier, “Before the Tokyo Paralympics in 2021, I announced at a press conference that my goal was to reach the 70-metre mark. Many people doubted me, claiming it was impossible for a Paralympian. However, within 1.5 years, I achieved that milestone at the World Championships. Now, my dream is to hit 80 metres in the coming years.”
The awards night welcomed several sporting legends. Paralympic heroes Dharambir and Rakesh Kumar, table tennis star Sreeja Akula, and badminton pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty were honoured as Athletes of the Year. This event also celebrated the achievements of the champions like Muhammed Anas and Nikhat Zareen, who were named the ‘Most Consistent Athletes of the Year.’ Sumit Antil, for his mind blowing performance in Paris, was honored as the Most Valuable Paralympian.
Table tennis star, Sreeja Akula too shared her journey so far: “From a young age, I dreamed of representing India and winning medals. Achieving this has taken years of dedication, resilience, and support. My inspiration was my sister, who excelled in sports but had to quit due to financial difficulties.
Her story motivated me to take table tennis seriously. Although my parents initially hesitated, as I was excelling academically with 96% in my 12th grade, they eventually supported my passion, along with my coach and organizations like the GoSports Foundation.”
Suhas Yathiraj, the silver medallist at the Tokyo and Paris Paralympics, received the Outstanding Contribution to Community and Sport award. Women’s cricketer Nandini Kashyap was given the award for the Spotlight of the Year for her remarkable domestic performances. Emerging talents like diver Palak Sharma and para-swimmer Himanshu Nandal were recognized as one of the Best Athletes of the Year.