Dharmbir and Pranav Sooram added two more medals to India’s record tally with a double podium in the men’s club throw F51 event at Paris Paralympics 2024 on Wednesday, September 4. Dharambir clinched a gold medal and Pranav claimed silver to take India’s medal count to 24 in the 17th Summer Para Games.
The 35-year-old Dharambir set a new Asian record by reaching 34.92m in his fifth attempt. He was the first competitor in the finals and managed to hold his lead to clinch his first gold medal in an international tournament.
Pranav, the gold medalist at the 2022 Asian Games, came close to breaking Dharambir’s mark but settled for a 34.59m throw to claim a silver medal. India’s third participant Amit Kumar finished tenth with his best throw of 23.96m at the iconic Stade de France.
The two-time Paralympic gold medalist and the reigning world champion Zeljko Dimitrijevic of Serbia finished third on the podium with his best throw of 34.18m.
Men’s Club Throw – F51 Final Results
- Dharmbir (India) – 34.92m
- Pranav Soorma (India) – 34.59m
- Zeljko Dimitrijevic (Serbia) – 34.18m
Meanwhile, Dharambir and Pranav Soorma’s double podium helped India boost its medal tally to 24, their best-ever performance in Paralympic history. With five gold medals, India also jumped to 13th position in the medal table at the end of Day 7’s events in Paris.
With Dharambir’s medal in club throw, India also equalled its 2020 Tokyo Para Games record for most golds in the Paralympic Games. Harvinder Singh won India’s first-ever archery gold in Olympics or Paralympics to create history on Wednesday.
India’s gold medalists at Paris Paralympics 2024
- Avani Lekhara (Shooting) – Women’s R2 10m air rifle standing SH1
- Nitesh Kumar (Badminton) – Men’s singles SL3
- Sumit Antil (Athletics) – Men’s javelin throw F64
- Harvnder Singh (Archery) – Men’s individual recurve open
- Dharambir (Athletics) – Men’s club throw F51