Golden spear here

Sumit Antil. Pic/Getty Images

Tokyo Paralympics gold-medallist Indian javelin thrower Sumit Antil wants to improve upon his world record in his bid to defend his title in the Men's F64 category at the Paris Games. Sumit, along with Bhagyashree Jadhav (shot put, F34 category), will be India's flag-bearer at the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games to be held from August 28 to September 8, 2024. He had set a world record thrice in the Tokyo Paralympic Games and won gold with a best throw of 68.55 metres.

World record holder

He bettered it with a world record throw of 70.83 metres at the 2023 Para World Championships and improved it further at the Hangzhou Para Asian Games (2023) to win gold with an effort of 73.29 metres. F64 category is for athletes with problems in the lower limb(s), those competing with prosthesis or those affected by leg length difference.

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"My long-term goal is to achieve a distance of 80m but at the Paris Paralympics, I will try to win gold with an effort of 75m," the 26-year-old told PTI-Bhasha in an exclusive interview. The athlete, who lost one of his limbs in a road accident in 2015, won the gold medal at the Para World Championship in May this year with an effort of 69.50 metres.

"My throws during practice have been quite consistent. I have worked hard on increasing my strength without changing the technique. I will try to improve my previous record," said Sumit.

No pressure yet

Asked about the pressure of being the defending champion and also India's flag-bearer, he said, "There is no pressure right now but things will be known after reaching Paris. Once you reach the Games Village or the competition venue, things become a little different. I will try to give my best without taking pressure," he said. "I want to enjoy this moment. For the first time, such a large and strong contingent from India is going to the Paralympics and I feel proud to be the flag-bearer," he added.

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