New Delhi: Very confident, Haryana’s para-javelin thrower Sumit Antil wants to maintain Friday’s record performance of 66.43 meters, and to hold on to the Tokyo Paralympic Games this year.
The 22-year-old athlete competed in the third leg of the Indian Grand Prix along with India’s top javelin throwers, including Asian Games champion Neeraj Chopra, and finished seventh. He erased the previous record of 66.18m set by Sandeep Chaudhary during the 2019 World Paralympic Championships.
“It was a great opportunity to compete with top athletes. “It was a big motivating factor for me to improve the national record in the F-64 category,” Antil told IANS.
Antil’s next stop is the Para Grand Prix of Tunisia, which starts on March 18. “My goal is to score another 66 meters throw. A good performance will add to my confidence, ‘he said.
Based on winning silver medals at the 2019 Paralympic World Championships, Antil has been eligible to participate in the Paralympic Games in Tokyo.
The top four athletes in each of the events at the World Paralympics will receive a quota to participate in the Paralympic Games in Tokyo.
The final selection for the Paralympic Games will be made by the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) three months before the main competition in Japan.
” A drop in form will cause you to miss the flight to Japan. It is therefore important for me to repeat my Patiala’s performance so many times in the next two or three months, ”said Antil van Sonepat.
PCI Secretary-General Gurcharan Singh said the implementation of Antil would be considered a national record. “We plan to send a detailed report to the World Para Athletics for their approval of the world record,” he said.
Source: Telangana Today