Tokyo Paralympics day 5 as it happened: Nishad & Bhavina win silver, Vinod’s discus bronze on hold

If Sunday was exciting, Monday promises to be manic! A packed-morning.

India at Tokyo Paralympics, day 6 schedule: Jhajharia eyes history as javelin takes centre-stage

Men’s Discus Throw (F52): Update from PTI

Vinod’s classification in F52, which is for athletes with impaired muscle power, restricted range of movement, limb deficiency or leg length difference, was done on August 22 by the organisers.

It was not clear on what grounds the classification has been challenged.

“Results of this event are currently under review due to classification observation in competition. The Victory Ceremony has been postponed to the evening session of 30th August,” read a statement from the Games organisers.

India’s Chef de Mission Gursharan Singh told PTI that Vinod’s medal stands for now.

“There was a protest from one country or may be more than one, we don’t know as it can’t be revealed, that there could be issues on the classification done on Vinod before the start of Paralympics,” he said.

“Vinod’s result, that is his bronze, still stands and a decision is unlikely to come today as it is very late now. It’s expected tomorrow,” he added.

Men’s Discus Throw (F52): While the official communication doesn’t mention Vinod Kumar’s name, it is believed that there is a review requested on his medical classification by an opponent. We await further details.

OFFICIAL COMMUNICATION: Men’s Discus F52 under Classification Observation Process

Results of this event are currently under review due to classification observation in competition.

07.30 pm: National Sports Day has been alright for India, hasn’t it? Some lovely moments. Here’s a quick recap:

Men’s Discus Throw (F52): The commentators seemed to hint that the review result might be known tomorrow. For now, the site says “under review” and no other official communication. We will keep you posted.

UPDATE: The commentators on the athletics official feed tell us the men’s discus throw F52 result is under review. No reasons given yet. We have to wait to find out more.

Watch: Nishad Kumar’s silver medal-clinching jump at Tokyo 2020 Paralympics

A brief background about Vinod Kumar: Inspirational.

Men’s Discus Throw (F52): Vinod Kumar is a great story. A 41-year-old at his first Paralympic Games, wins bronze medal. He is said to have taken up to para sports after watching Rio 2016. Wins bronze with a new personal best and a new Asian Record.

Men’s Discus Throw (F52): IT IS A BRONZE MEDAL FOR VINOD KUMAR! Aigars Apinis registers a best of 19.54 and that keeps Vinod Kumar in the bronze medal position. The Latvian veteran is a multiple medallist at the Games but the 48-year-old couldn’t get past the mark in front of him it seems. (No telecast). WHAT AN EVENING FOR INDIA!

Men’s Discus Throw (F52): Right then, here we go. Latvia’s Aigar Apinis (defending champ and Paralympic record holder) is now throwing. If he doesn’t cross 19.91, it is a bronze for India.

Athletics, Men’s Discus Throw - F52 Final (Seated) OH, SO CLOSE! Croatia’s Velimir Sandor goes past Vinod Kumar’s mark ONCE with his FIFTH ATTEMPT! And that pushes Vinod to third. With the defending champ to come finally, this is potentially a heartbreak for India. Let’s wait to see what the reigning champ does now.

Men’s High Jump (T47) CONFIRMED: A SILVER MEDAL FOR NISHAD KUMAR! The 21-year-old wins the first athletics medal of the Tokyo Paralympic Games for India. Matches his PB as well as Asian Record of 2.06m

I think it is a silver medal for Nishad Kumar on countback for 2.02m which Nishad cleared first time and Dallas in 2nd. Just awaiting confirmation on that once Mr. Townsend is done breaking all the records. It is either a silver for Nishad and Dallas or a a silver just for the Indian, to be fair. So I guess a silver is confirmed. Either way, confirmation coming shortly as Townsend goes after a new new World Record.

Athletics, Men’s Discus Throw - F52 Final (Seated): Vinod Kumar has finished his attempts and has a new Personal Best of 19.91m which is also an Asian Record. Well done. Now he waits for 3 more athletes to finish their attempts and see where he can finish.

Men’s High Jump (T47) Both Dallas and Nishad Kumar have missed their 3 attempts for 2.09m but it is a medal confirmed for India and Nishad Kumar is delighted. Awaiting confirmation of the rank. Townsend is still going with a new PR and beyond.

Men’s High Jump (T47) Nishad Kumar’s attempt is live here.

Athletics, Men’s Discus Throw - F52 Final (Seated): Vinod Kumar is in action now. Fourth in the order. He will have his eyes on 20.02, the current leading mark.

Athletics, Men’s High Jump - T47 Final: Nishad Kumar clears 2.06m with his 2nd attempt to equal his Personal Best & the equal Asian Record as well. All 3 athletes will go for 2.09 now. It will have to be an outright PB for Nishad.

MEDAL CONFIRMED FOR INDIA’S NISHAD KUMAR! China’s Chen doesn’t clear 2.02m & the world No 3 from India is in the final 3 with the two USA athletes (world No 1 & 2). Now, battle for podium.

Athletics, Men’s High Jump - T47 Final: IND’s Nishad, USA, USA have cleared 2.02m. All eyes on CHN! He has two Xs for 2.02m.... the all critical third attempt coming up.... and he misses. It is a medal confirmed for Nishad Kumar.

Athletics, Men’s High Jump - T47 Final. A first-time clearance of 2.02m for Nishad Kumar! That could be critical if it comes to a countback as Chen misses the first attempt. Dallas misses first attempt at 2.02m but clears next up. WR holder Townsend clears 2.02 first attempt as well with his first jump of the night. All eyes on China’s Chen now.

Athletics, Men’s High Jump - T47 Final. Ram Pal Chahar has X-X-X for 1.98m and he will finish the event with a new equal PB of 1.94m. A creditable effort. We are now down to 4 athletes for 3 medals. The clearance order for 2.02 could well determine the medals here.

Athletics, Men’s High Jump - T47 Final: Nishad Kumar is getting close to a medal here. Misses 1.98 first time but clears it with his second attempt. If no one else clears (apart from the two US athletes) at this height, he will be confirmed a medal. Ram Pal has missed twice at 1.98.

Athletics, Men’s High Jump - T47 Final: So 1.94 done... we are down to five athletes in contention for three medals. The USA jumpers will start only beyond 2.0.

Athletics, Men’s High Jump - T47 Final: A new Personal Best for Ram Pal Chahar. He manages to clear 1.94 (equalling his previous best height) with his second attempt. Good stuff.

Athletics, Men’s High Jump - T47 Final: Nishad Kumar registers a first-time clearance for 1.94m as well. As does China’s Chen. The other three athletes going for this mark, including Ram Pal, have failed in their first attempts. Will have to go again, two more attempts to clear the height.

Athletics, Men’s High Jump - T47 Final: Nishad Kumar starts with a first-time clearance at 1.89m and Ram Pal Chahar also clears the height at this first attempt. The two USA athletes are biding their time. Their bests are 2.10 and 2.14 so, in no rush.

Correction: Athletics, Men’s High Jump - T47 Final: A total of five athletes have cleared 1.84 and THREE are yet to start going. Two from USA including the WR holder from USA and India’s Nishad.

Athletics, Men’s High Jump - T47 Final: Ram Pal Chahar is the first Indian in action, going for 1.84m to start. And he clears it with his first attempt. Good start. Nishad Kumar will start off at 1.89m.

Athletics, Men’s High Jump - T47 Final: The first high jump event featuring Indians at the Games. Nishad Kumar and Ram Pal Chahar are in action here. The favourite will be world record holder Roderick Townsend of USA. Nishad, if he gets close to or betters his PB, should be right in the mix for a medal.

Athletics, Men’s Discus Throw - F52 Final (Seated): Here’s the start list for discus event featuring Vinod Kumar. The PB/SBs are bunched up fairly close here for six of the eight athletes. A spread between 19 and 22m. Given how the records are getting broken, any athlete who can improve their PB will stand a chance at the podium.

For Discus Throw - F52 

In the 50s sport classes, all athletes compete in a seated position, either in wheelchair or on a throwing chair, due to impaired muscle power, restricted range of movement, limb deficiency or leg length difference. A lower number indicates a higher activity limitation. Athletes in sport classes F51-53 have limited shoulder, arm and hand function to different degrees and usually no trunk or leg function. This profile is, for example, seen with athletes with spinal cord injury resulting in tetraplegia.

For High Jump - T47

LIMB DEFICIENCIES - SPORT CLASSES: T42/F42 - T46/F46, T47; T/F61-64 These sport classes are designated for athletes with limb deficiencies, such as amputations or missing or shortened limbs from birth. All athletes in the 40s classes compete standing and do not use a wheelchair. In the sport classes 42-44 the legs are affected by the impairment and in the sport classes 45-47 the arms are affected, for example by above or below elbow amputations

Archery Mixed Team Compound - Open quarterfinal: INDIA LOSE BY 2 POINTS! That’s the thing about compound...it is so tough to recover from a 6 unless something crazy happens! Out of the 32 arrows shot by both teams that was the only score that was not 10 or 9! One arrow mattered. Such fine margins. The Indians did brilliantly to score three ends of 39s after their 34 to start but unlike Recurve where set points means you can afford a bad arrow here or there, compound is more brutal.

Archery Mixed Team Compound - Open quarterfinal: The final set of four arrows coming up... India need a perfect end and Turkey must hit a 9 or 8 perhaps. Looking unlikely.

Archery Mixed Team Compound - Open quarterfinal: A nice 10-10 from India to start the 4th end... 10-9* from Turkey. 10-9 from India. And then a 9-10 from TUR. High scoring as compound can be. And that 9* becomes a 10 for Turkey after inspection. CRUCIAL!!! It is a 2-point match at the moment. (That 6 at the start hurting!)

Archery Mixed Team Compound - Open quarterfinal: A 39-38 in the second end helps India reduce the deficit by one. Strong set of four arrows there. Need more of the same (And some helping hand from Turkey because if they keep up the 10s and 9s, this is tough). Third end coming up...

Archery Mixed Team Compound - Open quarterfinal: OUCH. India have started with a six (cannot say what order the archers are going in from live scores so we will refrain). Comebacks are tough in compound. With the scoring being cumulative, that is going to take some overturning.

Archery Mixed Team Compound - Open quarterfinal: We are underway. No telecast for these events, so just the live scores.

Archery Mixed Team Compound - Open Round of 16 : Earlier in the day Rakesh and Jyoti put up a solid shot against Thailand to win by a six-point difference. Turkey will be in action for the first time today after a bye. Oznur Cure (F) and Bulent Korkmaz (M) are their athletes and they both scored a superb 689 out of 720 in the qualification rounds to earn the third seeding.

Archery Mixed Team Compound - Open quarterfinal: Not long left for the start of India vs Turkey in the QF of the mixed team quarterfinal. A big match for the Indian team of Rakesh Kumar and Jyoti Balyan.

One silver medallist to another...

Paralympic Games: Fencing without arms – Meet Beatrice ‘Bebe’ Vio, two-time champion & a global icon

From Sundhiya village to Tokyo – Bhavinaben Patel’s struggle is now laced with silver

History-maker: Meet Bhavina Patel, India’s silver medallist at Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games

Bhavina Patel: 

“I dedicate this medal to those who supported me, PCI, SAI, TOPS, Blind People Association and too all my friends and family,” Patel, who was diagnosed with polio when she was 12 months old, said after winning the medal.

“This medal is also dedicated to my coach who always supported me and gave hard training for which I could reach this stage. Special thanks to my physio, dietician, sports psychologist. They are who always motivated me.”

— via PTI

Where there is a will, there’s a way: Reactions to Bhavina Patel’s historic Paralympic silver medal

MEDAL MOMENT: It’s Bhavina and China on the podium for table tennis women’s singles class 4

Archery Mixed Team Compound - Open Round of 16 Elimination: Here’s how the afternoon scheduled for the mixed team event looks like. India vs Turkey at 14.40 IST. A win in the quarterfinal will earn India a spot in one of the medal matches at the very least.

Archery Mixed Team Compound - Open Round of 16 Elimination: India win. And are through to the quarterfinal! A strong finish to this match by Rakesh Kumar and Jyoti and they overturn a 71-72 deficit at the halfway stage to win by a comfortable six points. Finishing in style too with two 10s. They will take on Turkey in the last night at 2.40 pm later today.

Archery Mixed Team Compound - Open Round of 16 Elimination: INDIA in the lead! Two perfect arrows from the Indians at the start of the 4th end and they turn a one-point deficit into a one-point lead with four arrows left.

Archery Mixed Team Compound - Open Round of 16 Elimination: It’s a one-point lead for Thailand after the first two ends. Can Rakesh and Jyoti close it down? Eight more arrows left.

Archery Mixed Team Compound - Open Round of 16 Elimination: Nothing to separate India and Thailand at the end of the first set of arrows.

Archery Mixed Team Compound - Open Round of 16 Elimination: Coming next up for India, is the round of 16 in mixed team. The form Rakesh Kumar has been in, can he and Jyoti make progress in this event to the latter stages? The sixth seeds have to start with a win against Thailand first.

Table Tennis: What practice it must take to not just play like this but be really good at it too. Shuo Yan of China in the men’s singles Class 7 gold medal match.

Table Tennis, women’s singles Class 4: “On a personal level, I feel like it’s passing on the baton” Rio 2016 silver medallist Deepa Malik is a proud woman as she passes on her congratulations to Tokyo 2020 silver medallist Bhavina Patel.

Ashish Magotra: What a run for Bhavina Patel – 34 years old, world no 12, in her first Paralympics and she made it all the way to the final. A silver medal to be very, very proud of.

Table Tennis, women’s singles Class 4 final, IND 0-3 CHN: World No 1 Zhou Ying wins in straight games. But it is a superb silver for Bhavina Patel. What a run she has had.

Table Tennis, women’s singles Class 4 final, IND 0-2 CHN: A lovely point from Patel to make it 6-7 but a foreced error next up means Zhou has a 8-6 lead. And she makes it 10-6 in no time.

Table Tennis, women’s singles Class 4 final, IND 0-2 CHN: The Indian does well after the timeout and it is level at 5-5 now. Plenty of encouragement as we have seen from the Indian coach for Patel.

Table Tennis, women’s singles Class 4 final, IND 0-2 CHN: Timeout called by Bhavina and her coach as Zhou takes a 3-1 lead in the third game. As we have seen from here, she meditates and tries to collect herself. Can she take a game here and extend the final?

Table Tennis, women’s singles Class 4 final, IND 0-2 CHN: The pace on the shots from Zhou just proving a bit much at the moment for Bhaina. A 9-4 lead for Zhou and the Indian slows it down next point to make it 5-9. Another brutal backhand from CHN next and it is 5 game points. Zhou converts that to take the second 11-5.

Table Tennis, women’s singles Class 4 final, IND 0-1 CHN: A fired up Bhavina for the first time spotted as she gets a good body shot in, and it is 4-7.

Table Tennis, women’s singles Class 4 final, IND 0-1 CHN: Make that a 7-1 lead for Zhou but Bhavina continues to stay calm here. No timeout yet.

Table Tennis, women’s singles Class 4 final, IND 0-1 CHN: A 5-1 lead for Zhou here and the Indian is under the pump from the pressure being applied by the world No 1.

Table Tennis, women’s singles Class 4 final: Oh dear, just the wrong time for a service error. Instead of levelling the game, the point goes to world No 1 and she finishes the game on her serve. 11-7 to Zhou in 6 mins. But we know Bhavina can bounce back.

Table Tennis, women’s singles Class 4 final: Zhou just starts to pull away... a good serve from Patel brings it back to a two-point game. And then a super forehand to make it 6-8. Another good rally to make it 7-8.

Table Tennis, women’s singles Class 4 final: A tight start to the opening game, and Bhavina does well to stay in touch with the world no 1. It’s a 5-4 lead for CHN.

Archery, women’s individual compound (open) round of 32: That second end of 25 proved costly for Jyoti in the end as IRL’s Kerri-Louise Leonard wins this match 141-137. Jyoti will be in action in mixed team later today.

Archery, women’s individual compound (open) round of 32: WOW! If Jyoti came up with 10-10-10, Kerri Louise Leonard goes better with X-X-X. Retakes a 3-point lead.

Archery, women’s individual compound (open) round of 32: PERFECT 30! Super set of 3 arrows from Jyoti but the Irish archer too keeps it steady and holds the lead.

Table Tennis, women’s singles Class 4 final: IF semifinal saw Patel go up against an opponent who she had never beaten in 11 matches, it is a tougher task today. Zhou Ying has defeated the Indian in 8 out of 8 previous matches, and done so in straight games every single time. (including at the group stage here)

Archery, women’s individual compound (open) round of 32: OUCH! A 8 & 7 in the second end for Jyoti and that sees the lead change hands in a fairly significant manner. Three point lead for the Irish archer.

Archery, women’s individual compound (open) round of 32: Reminder that there is no “SET” system in compound knockout matches. It’s cumulative scoring. Every arrow matters. Jyoti has a slender early lead.

Archery, women’s individual compound (open) round of 32: Jyoti has a slender early lead...

Archery, women’s individual compound (open) round of 32: An interesting day awaits Indian archers today in the mixed team event, but before that we start with Jyoti in individual event round of 32.

Some reading for you ahead of Bhavina’s final scheduled for 7.15 am (after the current game on table six)

Tokyo Paralympics, table tennis: How Bhavina Patel kept calm and carried on with her dream run

Meet Bhavina Patel, first ever Indian table tennis player to secure a Paralympics medal

06.45 am: Hello all and welcome to our daily live coverage of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. Sunday’s action will see India’s medal count officially open at the Games as Bhavina Patel’s singles final in women’s class 4 table tennis comes to a close with the final. Whether it is gold or silver, historic either way, will be known shortly. There will be archery action to follow as well, with the mixed team event in compound - open a possible shot at medal too for India. Then there are a couple of athletics event later in the day.

Day 5 Tokyo 2020 Paralympics schedule for India