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Sumit Antil leads India’s historic javelin medal sweep (Img: IANS)
Nagoya: India completed a clean sweep of the javelin medals on Friday (October 23), with Sumit Antil winning gold, Mahendra Gurjar taking silver and Sandip Sanjay Sargar securing bronze in the combined F42-44/61-64 event.
Antil, competing in the T64 classification, topped the standings with a throw of 72.46 metres, earning 1,112 points. Gurjar (T42) and Sargar (T44) set new Games Records in their respective categories, registering throws of 59.03 metres and 64.48 metres and scoring 1,066 and 1,006 points, respectively.
The 28-year-old Antil, a two-time Paralympic champion and world record holder, could not better his personal best of 74.82 metres, set in May. However, he remained firmly in control of the F64 competition to claim the top spot.
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Antil had also won gold at the 2023 Asian Para Games, where he set a world record with a throw of 73.29 metres. Gurjar finished second with 59.03 metres, while Sargar took third place with 64.48 metres. Gurjar edged out Sargar on RAZA points, the scoring system used to rank athletes competing across different classifications in combined events.
The event brought together athletes from the F42, F44, F62 and F64 classifications to ensure a larger competitive field. F42 and F44 athletes compete without lower-limb prostheses, while those in the F62 and F64 categories throw standing up using prosthetic devices.
Antil had shown promise as a wrestler before losing his left leg in an accident. He discovered para-sports through a fellow athlete and went on to establish himself as one of India’s leading para-athletes. He has won three consecutive World Para Athletics Championship titles, from 2023 to 2025.
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Gurjar, a national champion and Asian record holder in the F42 javelin category, has emerged as a leading name in Indian para-athletics.
In May 2025, he set a world record in the F42 javelin throw with an effort of 61.17 metres at the World Para Athletics Grand Prix in Nottwil, Switzerland. He also won gold in the T42 long jump at the event.
Sargar, who hails from Maharashtra’s Sangli district, overcame a serious leg injury during childhood to pursue para-athletics. After completing a BSc in Chemistry, he took up javelin throw in 2016.
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With limited training facilities in his hometown, Sargar moved to Pune to access better infrastructure. He worked as a delivery executive while continuing to pursue his sporting ambitions.
His progress was interrupted by an ankle injury that required surgery in 2023. However, he returned to competition and went on to win gold at the 2025 World Para Athletics Championships.
