Indian para athlete Sumit Antil takes inspiration from Neeraj Chopra ahead of Paris Paralympics

There is no surprise to see Indian para athlete Sumit Antil, who won the gold medal in javelin throw at the Tokyo Paralympics 2020, taking inspiration from Neeraj Chopra.

Antil will be competing at the upcoming Paralympics in Paris and is gunning to defend his gold medal. Antil is also one of India’s two flag bearers at the Paralympics.

The 26-year-old from Sonepat in Haryana lost his left leg in an accident in 2015 and now competes with a prosthetic leg.

Speaking to SAI Media, Antil said Neeraj Chopra’s throw of 89.45m inspires him to give his best when he competes in the Paralympics, commencing on August 28 in Paris. “Neeraj bhai’s 89.45m throw was a great effort. It was his season’s best and it came after he was carrying an injury. That says a lot about the man,” Antil told SAI.

Antil broke the world record thrice at the Tokyo Paralympics and his last throw of 68.55m fetched him the gold medal in the F-64 category.

                                                                                                                            Sumit Antil (PC: SAI Media)

He won gold medals at the World Para Athletics Championships in Paris (in 2023) and in Kobe (in 2024). He threw the javelin a distance of 73.29m in the F-64 class at the Hangzhou Asian Para Games 2023, a world record.

Antil said he is going to follow Neeraj Chopra’s advice completely. “Neeraj bhai says that I should not try anything new and just trust my preparation by staying cool and steady,” he added.

The Haryana-based javelin thrower has benefitted from the Sports Ministry’s Target Olympics Podium Scheme (TOPS) and has received a total funding of INR 58.97 lakh from the ministry.

Antil, who has been suffering from a back injury, confirmed that he is sure to recover from the injury well in time for the Paralympics. “We are very conscious about injuries this time. It does impact our throws. Right now I have a minor back injury and I don’t want that to impact my performance in Paris. Apart from that my preparation has been good and I will try to return with a good result,” he added.