05 October,2025 09:34 AM IST | New Delhi | Jaspreet Singh
A joyous Ekta Bhyan after winning silver in the F51 club throw final at the World Para Athletics Championships in New Delhi on Saturday
Defending her World Para Athletics Championships club throw F51 gold on home soil here at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Saturday, Ekta Bhyan wasn't happy with her first three attempts. It left her in fourth spot. That's when her coach Amit Saroha, India's former two-time Asian Para Games champion in the event, shouted instructions from the stands. It did the trick.
Ekta produced a 19.60m throw on her next attempt to move into the silver-medal position and sealed it with an improvement to 19.80m on her last attempt to complete a hat-trick of WPAC medals.
"I am super happy," she said after her event. "Yes, I had won a gold in the last championships, but my performance is okay. This is my third world championships medal. I am happy with that."
"There was a bit of pressure of expectations as the defending champion. I wasn't satisfied with my first three throws, so it built some pressure. But I did some deep breathing to calm my mind and nerves, and did well in the fourth throw."
Ukraine's Zoia Ovsii was the run-away winner as all her attempts were above the 22.80m mark, while none of the other five finalists crossed the 20m mark. Ovsii's winning effort read 24.03m. The bronze went to Ekaterina Potapova (18.60m), playing as a neutral athlete. The other Indian thrower in the event was Kashish Lakra, who finished sixth (11.64m).
Ekta's uncomplaining smile told the story for someone who spent nine months in the hospital and underwent three surgeries as a teenager after an accident in 2003 left her with complete paralysis of the lower limbs and partially in the upper.
But she was happy about her medal and the fact that her event has been re-introduced for the LA 2028 Paralympics after being omitted from the last edition in Paris.
"It was disappointing that my event was not there in the Paris Paralympics. So, I am happy to complete a hat-trick of WPAC medals. It's a sigh of relief," she said.
India won another silver medal and a bronze as well on Day Seven of the WPAC. Asian Para Games silver medalist Soman Rana initially finished third in the men's shot-put F57 final with 14.69m as his top throw. But his position was upgraded to second after Brazil's Thiago Paulino Dos Santos's best effort of 14.82m was removed as a disqualified attempt from the official scoresheet and Rana's position upgraded to second.
The other Indians in the final failed to impress - Hokato Sema finishing sixth and Shubham Juyal seventh.
It was the first WPAC medal for the army man, who lost his leg in a mine blast in 2006. "It didn't go as planned, but whatever I achieved is good," said Rana.
The second Indian bronze came in the men's high jump T64, won by Praveen Kumar for his 2.00m effort. Also competing in the event was India's Banti, who ended up sixth.
"I had pain in my hip two weeks ago, and I had to take rest for 10 days because of the injuryâ¦I had to fight it out a little today, but I will be back to my best," said a visibly distraught Kumar, a gold medalist at the 2024 Paris Paralympics.
Women's Long Jump T47 Final: Nimisha Chakkungalparambil, 4th (5.74m)
Men's Javelin Throw F54 Final: Pradeep Kumar, 7th (26.11m)
Women's 200m T12, Heat 4: Simran Sharma, 1st (qualified for semi-final with timing of 25.03sec)
Men's Javelin Throw F13 Final: Manjeet, 5th (57.80m)
