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Sumit's 'sweet scarifice'
Updated On: 04 September, 2024 08:17 AM IST | Paris | PTI
Javelin thrower Antil becomes the first Indian man to defend his title with a Paralympics record of 70.59m; reveals he gave up sweets, followed a strict training regimen and shed around 12kg in just two months
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Sumit Antil during the men’s javelin throw final in Paris on Monday. Pic Courtesy: Olympic Khel
Carrying a back injury for more than a year, history-making Indian javelin thrower Sumit Antil’s path to Paralympic glory was paved with a ‘sweet sacrifice’ and several sleepless nights. The 26-year-old faced a tough choice in the build-up to the Paralympics — give up his favourite sweets or put his career at risk due to rapid weight gain and a back injury that troubled him before the Asian Para Games in Hangzhou last year where he won a gold.
On the advice of his physio, Antil grudgingly gave up sweets, followed a strict training regimen and shed around 12 kilograms in just two months. His sacrifice paid off on Monday when the Sonipat-lad became the first Indian man and only the second Indian overall to defend a Paralympic title, clinching gold in the F64 category with a record throw of 70.59m.
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