Sharad’s record at Para Asian Games
JAKARTA: India took over the podium in men’s high jump T42/63 category, claiming all the medals up for grabs with defending champion Sharad Kumar smashing two records to snare a second successive gold in the Asian Para Games.
The 26-year-old world championships silver-medallist bettered the Asian as well as the Games record with a jump of 1.90m to claim top honours. The T42/63 covers lower limb deficiency, leg length difference, impaired muscle power and impaired range of movement.The silver was claimed by Rio Paralympic bronze-medallist Varun Bhati (1.82m) and the bronze went to the Rio gold-medallist Thangavelu Mariyappan (1.67m). Bhati’s jump was his season’s best effort.
Sharad, who hails from Bihar, suffered paralysis in his left leg at the age of two after being administered a spurious polio medicine at the local eradication drive. He has been a former world number one. Earlier, javelin thrower Sundar Singh Gurjar won a silver medal in the men’s F46 category where two-time Paralympic goldmedallist Devendra Jhajharia finished fourth.
In the same event, Rinku picked a bronze medal to make it an India-dominated podium. The F46 category of disability covers upper limb deficiency, impaired muscle power or impaired range of movement. In javelin throw, Gurjar notched up his silver with an effort of 61.33m .