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Four Indian para-athletes, including gold medallist Sumit Antil, touched down in India for a grandoise welcome on Friday.
Thousands of fans and media people were waiting to receive them at the airport. Uncontrollable scenes unfolded at Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi as the medal-winning para-athletes reached India.
Apart from Sumit, three-time Paralympic medallist Javelin thrower Devendra Jhajharia, silver-medallist Yogesh Kathuniya (Silver) and Sharad Kumar, who won bronze in the high jump, were also given a grand welcome.
Sports Minister Anurag Thakur interacted with four medalists - Sumit Antil, Devendra Jhajhariya, Yogesh Kathuniya and Sharad Kumar in New Delhi. The Sports Minister felicitated them and lauded their incredible performance.
Officials , fans and media receive Paralympic medallists:
Indian para-athletes and their perfomances in Tokyo Paralympics:
Sumit Antil clinched a gold medal in the men's javelin throw F64 classification final with a mammoth throw of 68.55m. Sumit registered throws of 66.95m, 68.08m, 65.27m, 66.71m, 68.55m in his five attempts. He not only won India a medal but also shattered the world record thrice while attempting his five throws.
Jhajharia, already India's greatest Paralympian after winning gold medals in the 2004 and 2016 Game, finished on the podium again. He earned a silver medal this time. Jhajharia bettered his own world record (63.97m) with a throw of 64.36m
India's Yogesh Kathuniya clinched a silver medal after throwing a distance of 44.38m in the men's discus throw F56 classification at the 2021 Paralympics.
Sharad went on to redeem his 2016 Rio Paralympics sixth-place finish with a bronze in 2021. Sharad Kumar won the bronze medal in the T42 classification of men’s high jump event by clearing the 1.83m jump at the 2021 Tokyo Paralympics.
This is the first time that the country has hit the double-digit mark for medal tally at the showpiece. The Indian contingent has swept 12 medals so far at the 2021 Paralympic Games.
