Asian Para Games: Ekta Bhyan wins club throw gold for India in Jakarta

Jakarta, Oct 9: India's impressive run at the Asian Para Games continues as Ekta Bhyan won the country it's fourth gold medal by finishing at the top of the podium in women's club throw event here on Tuesday (October 9).

Bhyan won the F32/51 event by producing her best throw of 16.02m in her fourth attempt. She edged UAE's Alkaabi Thekra who threw 15.75m. The F32/51 class features athletes with significant impairment in hand function. Bhyan had won a yellow metal in the Indian Open Para Athletics Championship, earlier this year.

Many congratulations to @BhyanEkta for winning a GOLD medal in women’s club throw F32/51 event at the @asianpg2018 with a throw of 16.02m. It’s India’s 4th gold in this edition thus making it their best ever at #AsianParaGames.🎉#IndiaAtParaAG @ParalympicIndia #KheloIndia🇮🇳🥇 pic.twitter.com/hb9likVctA

— SAIMedia (@Media_SAI) October 9, 2018

India also won three bronze medals on Tuesday thanks to Jayanti Behera, Anandan Gunasekaran and Monu Ghangas. Ghangas finished third in the men's shot put F11, which covers vision impairment, and Gunasekaran in men's 200m T44/62/64 class, which deals with impairment in the foot, ankle and/or lower leg but the athletes compete without prosthesis.

Behera bagged the bronze in women's 200m T45/46/47 event which is for athletes with limb impairment.

Earlier on Monday, Javelin thrower Sandeep Chaudhary produced a stunning world record effort as India bagged 11 medals, including three gold, on a productive day. Chaudhary clinched India's first gold of the Games in the men's F42-44/61-64 category in the morning session, before middle distance runner Raju Rakshitha (women's T11 1500m) and swimmer Jadhav Suyash Narayan (men's S7 50m butterfly) added the yellow metals later on the second day of competitions.

Chaudhary claimed the top spot with a best throw of 60.01m, which he managed in his third attempt. He, in the process, shattered the F44 world record, bettering the earlier mark of 59.82, which Chinese Mingjie Gao made in 1980. Chaudhary's disability falls in the F42-44/61-64 category, which relates to limb deficiency, leg length difference, impaired muscle power or impaired range of movement.

The athletes in this category compete with or without prosthesis. 2016 Rio Paralympics silver medallist Deepa Malik settled for a bronze in women's F 53/54 javelin throw with an effort of 10.15m. In F 53/54 category, athletes have full power and movements in their arms, but no power in their abdominal muscles and typically no sitting balance. They compete in seated positions.

Javelin thrower Chaudhary was one of the star performers of the day in the Games with his world record throw. "For the Asian Para Games, I had a very good preparation and with a world record I have won a gold medal and I'm really happy with that," a beaming Chaudhary said after his event.

"I'm not going to stop there with that performance, I will try my best at the next World Championships in Dubai. Thanks to my coach and the Paralympic Committee of India who supported me at every level, it is a really good achievement for India and for me also," he added.

(With inputs PTI)