Who is Sumit Antil? All you need to know about the Indian para-athlete competing in the Paris 2024 Paralympics
With the Paris 2024 Paralympics starting on August 28, India will look towards its para-athletics stalwarts like Sumit Antil to bring home gold medals from the quadrennial tournament.
While India has sent 84 para-athletes to Paris, India’s medal hopes will rely on para-athletes like Sumit Antil who have previous experience in the Paralympic Games. 26-year-old Antil had won a gold medal in the men’s javelin throw F64 event in the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics.
As one of the most successful Indian para-athletes of his generation, Sumit Antil, who will be India’s flag bearer in the Paralympic Games, will be expected to lead India’s medal charge in the upcoming Paris 2024 Games.
Sumit Antil’s career in brief
Born in the Khewra village in Haryana’s Sonipat city, Sumit Antil suffered an early-life tragedy when he lost his father at the young age of seven. He suffered a life-altering accident at the age of 17 when the motorcycle that he was riding was hit by a speeding truck while Antil was returning home from tuition. As a result, his left leg was amputated.
An aspiring wrestler before the incident, Sumit Antil had to abandon that plan after his amputation. He was then introduced to para-athletics by another para-athlete from Haryana.
Antil started training in para javelin throw in 2017 under para-athletics coach Nitin Jaiswal in New Delhi. He started training under javelin coach Naval Singh in 2018 after being introduced by the 2018 Asian Games silver medalist Virender Dhankar. After enjoying success in national-level tournaments, he was made a part of the GoSports Foundation in 2019.
In the same year, Antil took part in the 2019 World Para Athletics Grand Prix in Italy. He won a silver medal in the event, breaking the world record in the F64 category by registering a throw of 60.45m. In the same year, he took part in the World Para Athletics Championships in Dubai, clinching another silver medal and breaking his own record by registering a throw of 62.88m.
Sumit Antil’s crowning moment came in the delayed Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, where he won a gold medal in the F64 category with another world record throw of 68.55m. He broke that record yet again in the Indian Open National Para Athletics Championships in the same year, registering a throw of 68.62m.
Antil established himself as one of the best para javelin throwers in the world by continuing his habit of breaking the world record each time he took the tracks. In the 2023 Para World Championships in Paris, he clinched a gold medal and registered a new world record throw of 70.83m.
Antil then broke his own record again in the gold medal-winning stint at the 2022 Asian Para Games by registering a throw of 73.29m.
Antil, who has received several awards such as the Khel Ratna Award in 2021, had a solid run-up to the Paris 2024 Paralympics, winning a gold medal in the 2024 World Championships held in Kobe.
However, now in Paris, Sumit Antil will face the ultimate test as he will attempt to become the first Indian male para-athlete to defend his Paralympic gold medal.