“This is just my second international competition and to have won a gold here gives me immense happiness. Indian track-and-field para-athletes snared three more gold medals on Thursday, with Shailesh Kumar leading the country’s sweep of the men’s high jump T63 competition, while sprinters Anjanaben Bumbadiya and Dilip Mahadu Gavit finished on top in their respective 400m T47 events at the Asian Para Games. Bumbadiya clinched gold in the women’s 400m T47 event with a time of 59.97 seconds and was followed by compatriot Jayanti Behera (1:00.65) in second place. Thailand’s Sasirawan Inthachot took bronze with a time of 1:02.58.
All I wanted to do was give my best and I am happy I could do it in this event,” Bumbadiya said after the race.
She had earlier won bronze in the 200m T12 event. The T47 category covers athletes with a below-elbow amputation, wrist amputation, or a similar upper-limb deficiency affecting one arm. The T63 classification is for athletes with a through-knee or above-knee amputation, or a limb deficiency. These athletes compete using a lower-limb prosthesis featuring a knee joint for running and jumping. The Indian high jump trio usually competes in the T42 category, which covers athletes with lower-limb deficiency, leg-length difference, impaired muscle power, or impaired passive range of movement affecting hip and knee function. (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
In the men’s high jump T63 competition, Shailesh, who won a long jump bronze on Wednesday, led India’s domination with a Games record effort of 1.89m. Former Paralympic bronze medallist Varun Bhati secured silver with a season’s best of 1.84m, while Rahul claimed bronze with a jump of 1.81m. Later, Gavit, who won gold in the 100m event on Wednesday, claimed the men’s 400m T47 title by clocking 48.27 seconds. Bhavikkumar Bharwad had initially finished second behind him with a time of 49.31 seconds but was eventually disqualified for a second lane infringement. The medal won by Japan’s Ishida Kakeru (49.58) was upgraded from bronze to silver, while Uzbekistan’s Marufjon Murodulloev (50.03) received the bronze medal. In the women’s 400m T12 event, visually impaired athlete Tejalben Damor won her second medal of the Games, taking silver after clocking 57.60 seconds.
