Aim is to win gold with a world record at the Paralympics: Javelin thrower Sumit Antil

NEW DELHI: Tokyo Paralympics gold-medallist Indian javelin thrower Sumit Antil wants to improve upon his world record in his bid to defend his title in the Men's F64 category at the Paris Games.

Sumit, along with Bhagyashree Jadhav (shot put, F34 category), will be India's flag-bearer at the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games to be held from August 28 to September 8, 2024.

He had set a world record thrice in the Tokyo Paralympic Games and won gold with a best throw of 68.55 metres.

He bettered it with a world record throw of 70.83 metres at the 2023 Para World Championships and improved it further at the Hangzhou Para Asian Games (2023) to win gold with an effort of 73.29 metres.

F64 category is for athletes with problems in the lower limb(s), those competing with prosthesis or those affected by leg length difference.

"My long-term goal is to achieve a distance of 80m but at the Paris Paralympics, I will try to win gold with an effort of 75m," the 26-year-old told PTI-Bhasha in an exclusive interview.

The athlete, who lost one of his limbs in a road accident in 2015, won the gold medal at the Para World Championship in May this year with an effort of 69.50 metres.

"My throws during practice have been quite consistent. I have worked hard on increasing my strength without changing the technique. I will try to improve my previous record," said Sumit.

Asked about the pressure of being the defending champion and also India's flag-bearer, he said, "There is no pressure right now but things will be known after reaching Paris. Once you reach the Games Village or the competition venue, things become a little different. I will try to give my best without taking pressure.

"I want to enjoy this moment. For the first time, such a large and strong contingent from India is going to the Paralympics and I feel proud to be the flag-bearer," he added.

The Indian contingent comprises 84 athletes across 12 disciplines.

"Being the flag-bearer is a different kind of emotion. This is the first time I will be a part of the opening ceremony at the Paralympics.

"At the time of the Tokyo Paralympics, there were a lot of restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic. I had reached late as per the the schedule of my competition."

Sumit said that after the Tokyo Paralympics, he focused more on practicing instead of participating in different competitions.

"I have participated in very limited competitions. I have spent more time in practice. Competitions keep going on but my aim is to get a medal for India in the Paralympics and my entire focus has been on this for the last three years," he said.

"I prefer to practice in India rather than going abroad. I went to Finland in 2018 but I did not feel much improvement there. I practice at the Sports Authority of India's Sonipat centre, which is equipped with a track for javelin throw and has world-class facilities."

Asked if he too was a little disappointed with Neeraj Chopra's silver medal in the Olympics, he said, "Neeraj bhai performed very well. It would be wrong to say that we were heartbroken by his effort. A lot depends on the day at this level of competition. It wasn't our day in Tokyo. It was Arshad Nadeem's (gold-medal winner) day in Paris.

"I am very happy with Neeraj's performance. It is difficult to deliver your season's best under pressure on a stage like the Olympics. I think once he crosses the 90m mark, we will have a lot of gold medals."

Sumit said that he has been a part of Target Olympics Podium Scheme (TOPS) since 2019 and he is getting all kinds of help from the government.

“I have been a part of TOPS since 2019 and have been getting prosthetic legs from abroad. Along with my prosthetics, TOPS provides me with everything I need for my game," he concluded.