World Para Athletes Championships: India’s gold rate rises!

Nishad Kumar during the T47 high jump final at the World Para Athletics Championships in New Delhi on Friday. Pics/PTI

Nishad Kumar had gold in the bag and was at the top of his run-up, ready for another shot at the world record jump. Just then, Simran Sharma appeared on the track for her sprint. The officials asked Nishad to hold back. Less than 12 seconds after that, India had two world champions shining under the floodlights on Friday here at the World Para Athletics Championships being held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.

Simran was crowned the new world champion in women's 100m T12 event with a new personal best of 11.95 secs, while Nishad was on top of the world with a new Asian Record of 2.14m just 0.03cm shy of breaking the world record. Their results meant India's gold medal tally now stands at six.

Simran is visually impaired

"Our national anthem will be played. For the first time, I am feeling proud of myself," said Simran, who is coached by her husband, who serves in the Indian army. Running with Simran, who is visually impaired since birth, was her guide Umar Saifi. Nishad, meanwhile, had his eyes on the world record after securing the first gold medal of his career at the world level.

An ecstatic Simran Sharma after winning the T12 100m race

"I felt I will get the world record, but then you don't meet all the targets, but it will happen," said the high-jumper, who won silver at the last two Paralympics and the last two WPAC editions, besides the Asian Para Games gold.

For Simran, it was her first medal in the 100m race at a world-level event and she broke her personal best in the Heat, improving it further in the semi-final and the final. "I am feeling like the Indian army today, like I have done something for my country," said the 25-year-old Simran.

Nishad beats US legend

Nishad, who was competing in the high jump event alongside compatriot Ram Pal (finished joint fifth) had, in his way, T47 world record holder Roderick Townsend - the US legend with four gold medals in Paralympics and five in WPAC. "He has won back to back gold medals and he has always dominated this event. But I never let that affect me, because I believed in my abilities," said Nishad. Townsend finished with bronze as he couldn't clear beyond 2.03m, while Abdullah Ilgaz of Turkey won silver. His best clearance was 2.08m.

Nishad's "hunger for gold" didn't let a knee injury come in his way. "I injured my knee 10 days ago during training…I was concerned at that time, but my team helped me keep a positive frame of mind," said Nishad, who lost his right hand when it accidentally came in a grass-cutting machine at the age of eight. Meanwhile, Preeti Pal finished with a bronze medal in the women's 200m T35 event, clocking her season best (30.03sec). In the men's discus throw F64 final, Pardeep Kumar won bronze (46.23m) while Sharvan Kumar finished fifth (44.11m).