Nagoya, Oct 20 (IANS) India bagged a double podium finish in the Men’s Javelin Throw F53 with Pradeep Kumar winning silver and Ayush Verma securing bronze at the Asian Para Games here on Tuesday
Pradeep, competing in F54 category, produced a personal best of 27.45m on his final attempt to clinch silver, while Ayush, competing in the F53 category, recorded his personal best of 17.88m in his fifth throw to claim bronze, earning enough Raza points to secure his position despite the shorter distance.
This is Pradeep’s second silver in men’s javelin F54 at the Asian Para Games, having won the silver medal in the 2022 Asian Para Games held in Hangzhou, China. He also won the gold medal at the National Para Athletics Championships in 2026.
The Raza Point System is a mathematical scoring method used in para-athletics to fairly compare and rank athletes with different types or degrees of disability when multiple classification categories are merged into a single even.
As per the Raza system, the distance an athlete throws/jumps, or the time they run, is put into the system and converted. The total number of points they achieve are their RAZA points. The athlete with most points is the winner.
Meanwhile, Praveen Sharma won the bronze medal in Men’s Shot Put F11, registering a personal best of 13.86m with his final throw. He earlier recorded 13.60m in his fourth attempt before improving his mark in the final round to seal a podium finish for India.
The F11 sport class in para athletics events is designated for athletes with visual impairments.
On Monday, India subsequently recorded two one-two finishes in para athletics when Rinku won the men’s javelin throw F46 gold ahead of Ajeet Singh, while Soumya took the women’s 1500m T12/T13 title, with Radha Venkatesh securing silver.
At the Asian Para Games 2026, Indians have won 22 medals thus far: five gold, eight silver, and nine bronze. Four of the five gold medals came from Para Athletics competitions.
–IANS
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