The Indian contingent finished their 2024 World Para Athletics Championships in Kobe, Japan with 17 medals against their name to be placed sixth in the overall medal tally on Saturday.
The country won a total of six gold medals, five silver medals, and six bronze medals to register their best-ever performance at the World Championships. The previous record for India stood at 10 medals, which included three gold, at the 2023 World Para Athletics Championships in Paris.
China finished as the most successful country in the competition with a total of 87 medals, including 33 gold. Brazil, Uzbekistan, Great Britain, and the United States, meanwhile, finished second, third, fourth, and fifth respectively ahead of India.
India’s gold medal rush at the 2024 World Para Athletics Championships started with Deepthi Jeevanji bagging the women’s 400m T20 gold medal with a world record timing of 55.20s.
Sachin Khilari followed it up with an Asian Record of 16.30m in men’s shot put F46 for a gold medal, while the two-time Paralyampics medallist Mariyappan Thangavelu set a championship record to win his first World Championships gold, leaping a distance of 1.88m in men’s high jump T42.
The other three gold medallists for India were the reigning Paralympics and World champion Sumit Antil in men’s javelin throw F64, Ekta Bhyan in women’s club throw F51, and Simran Sharma in women’s 200m T12 with a personal best time of 24.95s.
Meanwhile, Yogesh Khatuniya (men’s discus throw F56), Nishad Kumar (men’s high jump T47), Rinku (men’s javelin throw F46), Kashish Lakra (women’s club throw F51), and Bhagyashri Jadhav (women’s shot put F34) won a silver medal apiece.
The six bronze medallists for India were Dharambir (men’s club throw F51), Navdeep (men’s javelin throw F41), Ajeet Singh (men’s javelin throw F46), Sandeep (men’s javelin throw F64), and Preeti Pal (women’s 100m T35 and women’s 200m T35).
Pal, thus, also earned the distinction of being the first-ever Indian athlete to win two medals in a single edition of the World Para Athletics Championships.
On the other hand, Hokato Sema (men’s shot put F57), Monu Ghangas (men’s discus throw F11), Ravi Rangoli (men’s shot put F40), all earned a 2024 Paris Olympics quota place for India despite finishing outside the medal positions.
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