Sumit Antil Throws 69.25m as India Dominates Day 2 of New Delhi World Para Athletics Grand Prix

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New Delhi, March 12: India continued its commanding run at the New Delhi 2026 World Para Athletics Grand Prix, delivering another outstanding performance on Thursday (March 12) Day 2 with multiple podium finishes and several all-Indian sweeps across track and field events.

The highlight of the day came in the Men's Javelin Throw F43/F44/F64, where Sumit Antil led a clean sweep for the host nation. The Paralympic champion clinched gold with a powerful throw of 69.25 metres, while Pushpendra Singh secured silver with 56.91m and Poonam Ram claimed bronze with 49.48m.

Antil, who is preparing for a busy international season, said he was satisfied with the performance despite being in an off-season training phase.

"This time we have multiple tournaments lined up. I will try to perform well in the upcoming competitions. It is an off-season loading phase for me. I was not expecting such a throw; I expected around 67-68m, but the throw was good today at 69.25m, so I am happy and my team is happy as well," Antil said after the event.

The Indian star also emphasised that he is not planning major technical changes to his throwing style.

"We are not changing the technique because we know we are moving in the right direction in training. Right now we just need the right conditions where the throw falls perfectly in place. That is why I am competing in tournaments to find those conditions somewhere," he said.

Antil revealed that his long-term target is to breach the 75-metre mark as he prepares for upcoming major competitions, including the 2026 Asian Games.

"I am targeting 75m. I haven't achieved it yet in practice and no athlete has done it yet, but I am working on improvements in technique and strength to reach that mark," he added.

Indian Athletes Shine Across Track Events

India also dominated the Men's 400m T13, sweeping the podium with Subodh Bhatt winning gold in 51.88 seconds, followed by Priyanshu Kaushik (53.19s) and Avnil Kumar (56.91s).

In the Men's 400m T46/T47, Bhavikkumar Din Bharwad claimed gold with 49.89 seconds, while fellow Indian Jasbeer secured silver with 50.09 seconds. Serbia's Ivan Cvetkovic took bronze.

India also swept the podium in the wheelchair category of the Men's 400m T53/T54, with Manojkumar Sabapathi winning gold in 54.33 seconds, followed by Anil Kumar (57.57s) and Manikandan Jothi (1:01.94).

Strong Showing in Women's Events

Indian athletes also impressed in women's competitions. In the Women's 400m T11/T12, Tejalben Amraji Damor secured gold in 57.53 seconds, while Lalitha Killaka claimed silver in 1:07.92 and Shalini Chaudhary took bronze in 1:16.79, completing another Indian clean sweep.

In the Women's Shot Put F36/F37/F40, Lakshmi won gold with a throw of 7.76 metres, followed by Akutai Sitaram Ulbhagat (5.49m), while Bhutan's Chimi Dema secured bronze with 5.27m.

More Podium Sweeps for India

India continued to dominate field events as well. In the Men's Long Jump T42/T63, Shailesh Kumar won gold with 5.47 metres, while Ramsingbhai Govindbhai Padhiyar claimed silver and Solairaj Jagannathan secured bronze.

The Men's Shot Put F46 saw another Indian sweep with Rohit Kumar winning gold with 14.35 metres, ahead of Devendra Singh Gurjar (13.97m) and Lokesh Akula (10.92m).

India also impressed in throwing events with Sahil Salim Sayyad winning gold in the Men's Discus Throw F51/F55 with 36.83 metres.

International Athletes Also Shine

While India dominated most events, international athletes also produced notable performances. Russia swept the podium in the Men's 400m T20, led by Sergei Makarov, who won gold in 49.20 seconds.

Meanwhile, Natalia Sainchina secured gold in the Women's 400m T20 with a time of 1:00.52.

With several podium sweeps and standout individual performances, Indian para athletes continued to demonstrate their growing strength on the global stage at the New Delhi 2026 World Para Athletics Grand Prix.