Swimmer Suyash Jadhav won India’s second gold medal at the Asian Para Games in Indonesia on Monday. He finished first in the men’s 50m Butterfly S7 (6-7) event with a timing of 00:32.71.
Suyash had already won two medals in the 200m Individual Medley and 50m Freestyle S7 categories. Track athlete Rakshitha Raju won the gold medal in the women’s 1500m (T11) event. She clocked a timing of 00:05:40.64 in the two-person race where only one medal was on offer. By virtue of beating Japan’s Inouchi Natsumi, the 17-year-old Indian bagged the gold medal.
Earlier, javelin thrower Sandeep Chaudhary had clinched India’s first gold medal at the ongoing Games, finishing on top in the men’s F42-44/61-64 category in Jakarta on Monday.
Chaudhary claimed the top honours with a best throw of 60.01m, which he managed in his third attempt. It was a world record effort on a day India bagged 11 medals, including three gold.
Chaudhary bettered the earlier mark of 59.82, which Chinese Mingjie Gao made in 1980.
Chaudhary’s disability falls in the F42-44/61-64 category, which relates to limb deficiency, leg length difference, impaired muscle power or impaired range of movement. The athletes in this category compete with or without prosthesis.
Para-athletics gave two more silver also with Ramya Shanmugam and Radha Venkatesh finishing second in women’s F46 javelin throw and women’s T12/13 1500m race respectively.
Swimming also fetched four medals for India. Besides, the gold from Narayan, India also won three bronze from swimming on Monday.
India also won a silver in para-powerlifting while shooting para sport gave the country a silver and a bronze.
With today’s 11 medals, India’s medal tally stood at 3 gold, 6 silver and 7 bronze to occupy the eighth spot in the medal table. India had won two silver and three bronze on Sunday.
China is on top of the medal table with 35 gold, 14 silver and 17 bronze, followed by South Korea with 14 gold, 8 silver and 6 bronze.
“For the Asian Para Games, I had a very good preparation and with a world record I have won a gold medal and I’m really happy with that,” a beaming Chaudhary said after his event.
“I’m not going to stop there with that performance, I will try my best at the next World Championships in Dubai. Thanks to my coach and the Paralympic Committee of India who supported me at every level, it is a really good achievement for India and for me also,” he added.
In the women’s T11 1500m race, Rakshitha clocked 5 minute 40.64 seconds to clinch the gold. Her disability falls in T11 category which relates to very low visual acuity and/or no light perception.
Suyash clinched the gold in men’s S7 50m butterfly by clocking 32.72 seconds while swimming at lane number 5. Yang Hong of China was second with 33.54 while Payungsakul Boonyarit of Thailand took the bronze in 38.09.
Swimmers with S7 classification mainly use their arms and trunk. They have limited leg function or are missing a leg or parts of both legs. This class includes a number of different disabilities including people with amputations and cerebral palsy.
