Sumit Antil shatters World Record with 74.82m throw in Indian Open Para Athletics

Two-time Paralympic champion Sumit Antil shattered his own world record in the Men’s Javelin Throw F64 category at the 8th Indian Open International Para Athletics Championships 2026 in Bengaluru on Wednesday, producing a massive throw of 74.82m to headline Day 2 of the competition.

Representing Haryana, Antil delivered a sensational gold medal-winning performance to surpass his previous world record of 73.29m, which he had set at the 2022 Asian Para Games in Hangzhou. The reigning Paralympic champion once again underlined his dominance in para athletics with yet another historic feat added to his decorated resume.

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Antil, who won gold medals at both the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, comfortably secured the top spot ahead of Maharashtra’s Sandip Sargar, who claimed silver with a throw of 62.88m. Rajasthan’s Sandeep completed the podium with bronze after registering 61.83m.

The second day of the championships witnessed several standout performances across track and field events.

Paralympic medallist Praveen Kumar cleared 2.00m to clinch gold in the Men’s High Jump T64 event, while fellow Indian para-athlete Varun Singh Bhati secured silver with a clearance of 1.84m.

In the Women’s 400m T20 race, Tokyo Paralympic gold medallist Deepthi Jeevanji impressed with a winning time of 57.84 seconds. Maharashtra’s Dilip Gavit also produced a commanding run in the Men’s 400m T47 category, sprinting to gold in 47.64 seconds.

Haryana’s Rinku emerged victorious in the Men’s Javelin Throw F46 event with a best effort of 61.70m. He faced close competition from Uttar Pradesh athletes Ajeet Singh, who threw 60.72m, and Ravi Kumar, who managed 59.33m.

The Men’s High Jump T63/T42 competition featured prominent Indian para-athletes Mariyappan Thangavelu and Shailesh Kumar competing alongside international participants from Thailand and the Philippines, highlighting the growing competitive standard of the championships.

Haryana continued their impressive run in field events as Haney secured gold in the Men’s Javelin Throw F37/F38 category with a throw of 60.70m. Meanwhile, Pranav Soorma topped the Men’s Club Throw F51 event with a winning mark of 34.04m.

In the women’s events, Gujarat’s Nimisha Chakkungal claimed gold in the Women’s Long Jump T47 category with an impressive leap of 5.43m. Bhavanaben Ajab Chaudhary also struck gold after winning the Women’s Javelin Throw F46 title with a throw of 37.01m.

The championships, which began on May 26, will conclude on May 28 in Bengaluru. The event has brought together leading para-athletes from across India along with international competitors, serving as a key platform for preparation ahead of upcoming international competitions.