"Neeraj bhaiya’s win made me feel I have to leave a golden mark of my own" - Sumit Antil
The Indian flag was flying high once again at a javelin throw event, this time courtesy of Sumit Antil. The athlete stormed to a record-making gold at the Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, in the F64 category on Wednesday (November 1).
Sumit bettered his own world record of 70.83m that he set earlier this year in Paris at the World Para Athletics Championships. He threw the javelin 73.29m in Hangzhou to claim gold ahead of Sri Lanka's Arachchige Samitha and compatriot Pushpendra Singh.
Reflecting on his victory, Sumit Antil told the Hindustan Times that Neeraj Chopra's gold at the Asian Games motivated him to finish at the top of the podium.
“Neeraj bhaiya’s win made me feel ‘I have to leave a golden mark of my own in javelin’... The total tally for the Asian Games was 107 whereas at the Para Games, we won 111 medals and can’t feel prouder!”
India had a record-breaking performance at both the 2023 Asian Games and the Asian Para Games. This is the first time Indian players have crossed the 100-medal mark in either of the marquee events. The para-athletes managed a haul of 111 medals while their counterparts claimed 107 medals.
Asked whether he felt pressure to finish on the podium after India's massive medal tally at the Asian Games, Sumit Antil said:
"Even after India won 107 medals at the Asian Games, personally I didn't feel any pressure. But, I wanted to win gold for myself and my country, and I am glad that I could see our Tiranga (tri-color) from the podium. Indian athletes can’t feel any prouder than today because both our contingents crossed the 100 tally!
"Watching India’s name in the top three countries at the Para Games made us all feel elated and also pumped our blood to do bigger and better next time. This is what we are aiming for (at) the 2024 Paralympics, too."
Sumit Antil thanks his coaches from Ramjas College
Antil first stumbled across para-athletics when he was pursuing his Bachelor's in Commerce at the Ramjas College of Delhi University.
According to Antil, it was the coaches at Ramjas College who supported his ambitions of becoming an international javelin thrower when he was starting out. He mentions that his initial coaches are a constant source of motivation and that he feels blessed to have such guidance.
“My coach from my Ramjas days was the first one to call and congratulate me when I won at the event recently. In fact, he follows all my events and calls up to keep checking on my progress.
"I feel blessed to have such teachers who got me into the habit of being in a routine and are my continuous source of motivation, which helps me achieve my goals and make new records.”