Last month when Neeraj Chopra stepped up to defend his Olympic title, a nation stayed up with bated breath.
Similarly, late on Monday night, if not for the whole country, there were certainly a few thousand who watched another javelin exponent in action, this time at the Paralympics.
Like Neeraj, Sumit Antil is a gold medalist at the highest level.
In the finals at the Stade de France, when Sumit ran full steam ahead and delivered his first throw with a roar, his very own Paralympic record was broken.
And that first throw was enough for the night and the history books.
The gold medal was his. But Sumit wasn’t done just yet.
He picked up the spear again and hurled it further to create yet another Paralympic record.
Out of the five legal throws Sumit recorded on the night, all his throws featured in the top six throws of the Javelin Throw F64 final.
And en route to breaking the Paralympic record twice, he defended his gold medal from the Tokyo Paralympics, all whilst sticking to his favourite habit of breaking records.
A habitual world record breaker
Sumit caught the eyes of the world when he broke the world record in the F64 category thrice while winning gold at the Tokyo Paralympics. It was a feat never seen before, let alone by an Indian field para-athlete.
For context, from 2019 to 2023, Sumit Antil broke the world record six times officially and twice unofficially at the Para Nationals which is not used by the International Paralympic Committee for record purposes.
“Haha, I don’t think much about the world records. But you can say, it has become my habit,” Sumit had told The Bridge before leaving for the 2024 Paris Paralympics.
From the first world record of 62.88m he set in 2019 to the current world record of 73.29m, Sumit has improved by more than 10m.
His passion for setting new marks paves the way for multiple records.
“I will try my best to reach the 75m at the Paralympics but for me, distance is important rather than the medal. If I keep breaching the distances I target, I don’t think there is any way I can’t get the medal,” said Sumit when asked about the secret of breaking the world records.
When one thinks about breaking the world records, the first name that comes to mind is the Swedish prodigious Pole Vaulter Armando Duplantis who has shattered the world record in his discipline so many times, that record keepers are finding it tough to keep a tab.
While comparisons with Duplantis are unfair, Sumit stands out as an anomaly when it comes to domination in para-javelin.
Sumit Antil breached the F64 Javelin World Record six times in the last four years. (Graphic by: Adersh S/TheBridge)
A hero that was needed
Sumit’s achievements don’t just stand out in the record books; they have also made him a hero for aspiring athletes across India.
Just as Neeraj Chopra inspired a generation of athletes, Sumit has become a beacon of inspiration for para-athletes, showing them that anything is possible.
“People have started recognizing me and a lot of kids come up to me to talk about the sport. I didn’t have any hero coming into this sport. I don’t think I have become that hero but people do relate to me,” said a modest Sumit about how his life changed after the Tokyo Paralympics.
“There has been a surge in the number of para-athletes. I have seen more para-athletes in my ground now and I think the way it is growing, India will have a big pool of para-athletes. They think that if this guy can do it, I can also do it,” he added further.
When asked about what kind of legacy he wants to leave behind, Sumit emphasized the importance of competition.
“When I came to the sport, I heard that there is no competition at the Para Games but when I retire, I would have to make sure that there is enough competition.”