Paris Paralympics 2024: Navdeep Singh's silver upgraded to gold in men's javelin throw F41; takes India's medal tally to 29

Published at :September 8, 2024 at 2:34 AM

Modified at :September 8, 2024 at 2:34 AM

(Courtesy : Getty Images)

Navdeep Singh bettered his personal best thrice for the gold medal.

In a sudden twist of events, India’s Navdeep Singh secured a gold medal in the men’s javelin throw F41 event at the Paris Paralympics 2024. The 23-year-old para-athlete from Panipat, Haryana, hurled the javelin to a new personal best of 47.32 meters to clinch the gold and add to India’s medal tally.

His medal was India’s seventh gold in Paris and 29th overall medal, surging their position in the overall tally to 16th.

Navdeep Singh's 🥈 medal has been upgraded to GOLD!! 🇮🇳 🥇Iran's Sadegh Beit Sayah, who originally won 🥇, has been disqualified for unsporting/improper conduct.Navdeep's throw of 47.32m is the new Paralympic Record and also India's first-ever gold in Men's Javelin F41 event.… pic.twitter.com/rWULhOLIbl
— Khel Now (@KhelNow) September 7, 2024

Singh’s path to the podium was filled with suspense. After a foul start, he regained his composure with a personal 46.39m throw in his second attempt. The third attempt saw Singh unleash a monster throw and improve his PB further to 47.32m, briefly claiming the top spot and shattering the Paralympic record.

However, Iran’s Sadegh Beit Sayah responded with a colossal 47.64m throw in the fifth round, setting a new Paralympic record and pushing Singh to second place. China’s Sun Pengxiang took bronze with a throw of 44.72m.

Also Read: Why was Iranian athlete Sadegh Beit Sayah disqualified from Paris Paralympics 2024?

However, Sadegh Beit Sayah was later disqualified from the competition under 8.1 rule for unsporting or improper conduct. His disqualification paved the way for Navdeep to clinch the gold medal.

Singh had narrowly missed the podium with a fourth-place finish at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics. His relentless pursuit of excellence has finally paid off, adding to his impressive collection of accolades.

The 2000-born Singh’s medal cabinet now includes a bronze from the 2024 World Para Athletics Championship, gold from the 2019 U20 World Para Athletics Championship, and victories in several international events including the Desert Challenge Cup in the USA and the Fazza Dubai Grand Prix.

Born with short stature, he competes in the F41 category, which is specifically for athletes with this condition. He refused to let his height define his aspirations, instead channeling his energy into sports. Inspired by his father, a national-level wrestler and a Gram Sachiv (village secretary), Singh initially dabbled in various athletic events before focusing on javelin throw since 2017.

Paris Paralympics 2024: Navdeep Singh's silver upgraded to gold in men's javelin throw F41; takes India's medal tally to 29

Navdeep Singh bettered his personal best thrice for the gold medal.

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