Sumit Antil Leads Historic Javelin Sweep As Pranav Soorma Defends Gold At Asian Para Games 2026

India enjoyed a spectacular day in para-athletics at the Asian Para Games 2026 on Friday, with Sumit Antil spearheading a remarkable all-Indian podium finish in the javelin throw before Pranav Soorma added another gold medal with a record-breaking performance in the men's club throw F51 event.

Antil successfully retained his title in the men's javelin throw F42-44/61-64 combined event, finishing ahead of compatriots Mahendra Gurjar and Sandip Sanjay Sargar to secure a memorable 1-2-3 finish for India.

Soorma followed suit by defending his club throw crown with a new Games record, underlining India's strength in para-athletics at the Aichi-Nagoya Games.

The two-time Paralympic champion and world record holder delivered a best effort of 72.46m on his second attempt to secure gold in the men's javelin throw combined event.

Competing in the F64 classification, Antil maintained a commanding advantage over his rivals. Although his winning distance fell short of his personal best, the Indian star once again demonstrated his dominance on the continental stage.

Antil had won gold at the 2023 Asian Para Games with a then-world-record throw of 73.29m. He subsequently raised the benchmark to 74.82m in May 2026, further strengthening his position among the world's leading para-javelin throwers.

Gurjar claimed silver with a throw of 59.03m, while Sargar secured bronze with an effort of 64.48m, completing a clean sweep of the podium for India.

Interestingly, Sargar recorded a longer distance than Gurjar but had to settle for bronze because the combined event uses Raza points to determine the final standings across different classifications.

The scoring system accounts for differences between athletes' impairment categories, meaning the longest throw does not necessarily guarantee the highest finishing position.

The combined javelin event features athletes from the F42, F44, F62 and F64 classifications, which cover different types and levels of lower-limb impairments. Some athletes compete without prostheses, while others use them.

India's celebrations continued as Pranav Soorma successfully defended his men's club throw F51 title, producing a Games-record mark of 32.87m.

The performance reaffirmed Soorma's status as one of India's leading athletes in the discipline. He had previously won gold at the 2023 Asian Para Games before claiming silver at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.

South Korea's Jiwon Jung finished second with a personal-best throw of 28.40m, while India's Dharamvir took bronze with an effort of 27.71m to secure another double podium finish for the country.

The F51 classification is designed for athletes with significant impairments affecting trunk and limb movement. Competitors perform the club throw from a seated position, with athletes having varying degrees of limitations in their arms, hands and other parts of the body.

Antil's commanding victory and India's complete podium sweep in the javelin, followed by Soorma's successful title defence, made Friday another memorable occasion for the Indian contingent at the Asian Para Games 2026.

With established champions continuing to deliver on the biggest stage, India's para-athletes once again demonstrated their consistency, competitive spirit and ability to produce outstanding performances at major international events.