Sumit Antil Dedicates Second Paralympic Gold To PM Modi

Sumit Antil, India’s two-time World Champion and Paralympic medalist, has won his second consecutive gold medal at the Paris Para Games. He has dedicated this achievement to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This gesture fulfills a promise Sumit made after his Tokyo Paralympics victory.

Sumit Antil made history by becoming the first para-athlete to secure gold medals in consecutive Paralympic Games. At the Stade de France, he set a new Paralympic record in the Men’s Javelin Throw F64 with a throw of 70.59 meters. Remarkably, he surpassed his previous record from Tokyo 2020 three times.

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The Prime Minister congratulated India’s Paralympic champions on Thursday. He met the athletes at his residence to celebrate their record-breaking performance at the Paris Games. India won 29 medals in total—seven gold, nine silver, and 13 bronze—placing 18th in the medal tally. This surpassed India’s previous best of 19 medals at Tokyo 2020.

During their meeting, Sumit reminisced about his conversation with PM Modi after Tokyo. The Prime Minister had asked Sumit to promise two more gold medals. Sumit said, “This second gold is for you. I was nervous before the Paralympics, but your words inspired me.”

India’s contingent, including a record 84 para-athletes, competed in 12 disciplines at Paris 2024, adding new sports such as para cycling, para rowing, and blind judo.