New Delhi: Focus has recently shifted to the inaugural Khelo India Para Games at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here on Monday, with some of the top athletes competing in athletics, badminton, and table tennis. This follows the highs of the Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, China, earlier this month.
With a tremendous effort of 34.23 meters, veteran Haryanaian Monu Ghangas won gold in the men’s discus throw (F11) category, setting the standard on the field. Ghangas, who won bronze in the Asian Para Games, began her throw with a 33.31-meter distance and increased it to 34.05 meters. The winning performance was 34.23 meters on the third try.
With a best throw of 26.46 meters, Andhra Pradesh’s Neelam Sanjay Reddy took home the silver medal, while Delhi’s Sonu Singh secured the bronze with a throw of 24.61 meters.
Olympic bronze medallist in boxing MC Mary Kom, along with professional wrestler and actor Sangram Singh, mixed with the athletes on a memorable afternoon. They both praised the government for organizing these Games that give special athletes more power.
The 100-meter dash for men in the T13 category was an exciting event. Pankaj Bhue, an Odisha native, won gold with a time of 12.41 seconds. Mangat Hembram, an Odisha native who timed 12.63 seconds to win bronze, trailed behind Himachal Pradesh’s Avnil Kumar in second place with 12.62.
In the T35 and T36 divisions, Chirag from Delhi won the gold medal in the 100 meters with a time of 13.49 seconds. Anubhav Chaudhary from Uttar Pradesh finished in second place with a time of 14.39 seconds. Bronze went to Narayan Thakur of Delhi, who finished in 14.72 seconds.
On Monday, athletes from Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, and Tamil Nadu were also actively competing. In the T38 division, Vinoth Kumar of Tamil Nadu won gold in the 100-meter dash. His time was 13.07 seconds. Vicky from Haryana won bronze in 13.46 seconds, and Sunil Kumar Sahu from Rajasthan won silver in 13.32 seconds.
A man well known for his exploits in the international arena stole the limelight as Nishad Kumar from Himachal Pradesh won the high jump gold. Competing in the T47 category, Kumar leapt 1.95 metres. Rampal from Haryana took silver with a jump of 1.85 metres while Chandresh Bagada (1.80 m) from Gujarat won bronze.
Monday’s action saw several unknown para-athletes of India compete with better-known para-stars. These Khelo India Para Games are aimed at offering a level playing field to all para-athletes of the country.
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