TERRIFIC TRIO PAY PERFECT TRIBUTE TO DHYAN CHAND
While Bhavina, Nishad and Vinod spread cheers among 1.3b Indians, there were some disappointments too on the day
India, who had failed to win a single medal on the first four days, finished the day at 42nd position behind Georgia, who has three silver medals
There could not have been a better tribute for hockey wizard Dhyan Chand as on his birth anniversary, celebrated as National Sports Day, India bagged two silver and one bronze medal at the Tokyo Paralympic Games on Sunday.
Paddler Bhavina Patel started what turned out to be a Super Sunday for India as she won a silver medal in the women's singles Class 4 competition at the table tennis venue, capping off an incredible run during which she defeated the gold and silver medallist at the Rio Paralympics five years ago.
In the evening at the main Olympic Stadium, high jumper Nishad Kumar added another silver to India's tally in men's high jump T47, clearing the bar at 2.06, equalling the Asian record. Nishad finished second behind Roderick Townsend of the United States, who set a world record by clearing 2 metres and 15 cm.
Discus thrower Vinod Kumar added a bronze to the tally on the fifth day of competition at Tokyo 2020 by finishing third in the F52 event, hurling the disc to 19.91 metres for an Asian record.
India, who had failed to win a single medal on the first four days, finished the day at 42nd position behind Georgia, who has three silver medals. This takes to 15 India's overall tally at the Paralympic Games -- 4 gold, 6 silver and 5 bronze medals.
The day started on a rousing note as Bhavina Patel, a 34-year-old government employee from Ahmedabad, Gujarat, sealed India's first silver medal after she lost to world No. 1 Zhou Ying in women's singles Class 4 final.
There was no fairy-tale ending as Bhavina's sensational run in Tokyo ended with a historic silver medal, becoming the first table tennis player from the country to win a medal in the Paralympic Games.
India's Mixed Team of Jyoti Baliyan and Rakesh Kumar lost to Turkey's Cure Oznur and Bulent Korkmaz in the quarterfinals of the compound open section at the Tokyo Paralympic Games here on Sunday.
Jyoti and Rakesh, who had reached the last-eight stage after beating Thailand's Mixed Team, went down 151-153 at the Yumenoshima Final Field.
The Indians went behind by three points in the first round itself (34-37) when Jyoti shot a six on the first arrow. They won the second end 39-38, hitting two 10s, one inner 10, and a nine, while Turkey managed 9, 10, 10, 9 and reduced the margin by one point.
Nishad Kumar added the second silver in the evening.
Nishad finished second behind Roderick Townsend of the United States, who set a world record by clearing 2 metres and 15 centimetres.
The 21-year-old Nishad Kumar who hails from Una in Himachal Pradesh started with 1.89 metres, which he cleared easily. He cleared 1.94 in his second effort and 1.98 and his third.