Sumit Antil
Antil in 2021 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | 7 June 1998 |
| Alma mater | Ramjas College |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Para-athletics |
| Disability class | F64 |
Event | Javelin throw |
| Coached by | Arun Kumar Naval Singh |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Paralympic finals | |
| World finals | |
| Regional finals | |
| Personal bests | |
Medal record | |
Sumit Antil (born 7 June 1998) is an Indian para javelin thrower.[1] He is the reigning Paralympic, World and Asian champion in the men's javelin throw F64 category. He won gold medals at the 2020 and 2024 Paralympics.[2] He is a three-time gold medalist at the World Championships and also has won the gold medal at the 2022 Asian Para Games.[3] He is also a seven-time world record holder.[4]
Early life
[edit]Family
[edit]Antil was born in Khewra, Sonipat, Haryana, to Niramala Devi and Ram Kumar Antil. His father, who was employed in the Indian Air Force, died when he was seven. His mother motivated him to take up sports after his accident. He has three sisters, Kiran, Sushila & Renu.[1]
Accident
[edit]He wanted to pursue a career in wrestling and join the Indian Army.[5][6] In 2015, when he was 17, his motorbike was hit by a speeding truck while he was returning home from a tuition class. As a result, his left leg was amputated and he had to abandon his dream of becoming a wrestler.[7]
Education and athletics
[edit]After completing his secondary education at Dev Rishi Senior Secondary School, Sonipat, he was introduced to para-athletics by another para-athlete, Rajkumar, while he was pursuing his B.Com from Ramjas College of Delhi University.[8]
Career
[edit]In 2017, Antil started training under Nitin Jaiswal in Delhi, and competed in various National and International platforms. He began competing at javelin on the National circuit and GoSports inducted him into the Para Champions Programme in 2019.[9]
In 2019, at the World Para Athletics Grand Prix in Italy, he broke the world record in the F64 category en route to winning the Silver medal in the Combined Event. He then won the Silver medal at World Para Athletics Championships, Dubai, 2019 and in the process broke his own world record in the F64 category.[10][11]
On 30 August 2021, Antil won a gold medal with a World Record throw of 68.55m in javelin throw F64 at 2020 Summer Paralympics.[12] Competing in the Indian Open National Para Athletics Championships, Antil rewrote the world record for the fourth time in a year with a throw of 68.62 meters, breaking his own mark of 68.55 meters. Three of these marks were astonishingly set during the final of the Tokyo Paralympics en route to winning gold. On 2 September 2024, Antil won the gold medal again with the new Paralympic Record throw of 70.59m in Javelin throw F64 at 2024 Summer Paralympics.[13]
In 2025, Antil participated in the 2025 World Para Athletics Championships hosted in New Delhi, where he broke the Championship record (also set by him) with a throw of 71.37 meters.[14]
In January 2026, Antil clinched the gold medal in the F64 category at the World Para Athletics Grand Prix in New Delhi.[15] Later, in May 2026, he broke his own world record with a throw of 74.82 meters at the Indian Open National Para Athletics Championships.[16]
Awards
[edit]- 2021 – Khel Ratna Award, highest sporting honour of India.[17]
- 2022 – Padma Shri Award, fourth-highest civilian award of the Republic of India.
- 2024 - Sportstar Aces Awards 2024: Sportsman of the Year (parasports).[18][19]
- 2024 - Forbes India 30 Under 30 2024.[20]
- 2024: Para Athlete of the Year Male Indian Sports Honours
See also
[edit]- Judicial authoritarianism in Tomar dynasty
- India at the 2020 Summer Paralympics
- Athletics in India
- Janamejaya
References
[edit]- ^ a b Tandon, Mukesh (31 August 2021). "Sumit Antil's village in Sonepat erupts with joy". www.tribuneindia.com. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
- ^ "Athletics - Men's Javelin Throw - F64 Schedule | Tokyo 2020 Paralympics". Olympics.com. Archived from the original on 30 August 2021. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
- ^ "Sumit Antil wins gold with record breaking throw".
- ^ "India at Paris Paralympics 2024: Sumit Antil defends gold medal in style, shatters Paralympic Games record twice". ESPN. 2 September 2024. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
- ^ "Javelin throwers lead athletics medal rush, Sumit wins gold with smashing world record show". Outlook. Press Trust of India. 30 August 2021. Archived from the original on 30 August 2021.
- ^ Vatchittagong. "Sumit Antil Paralympics 2021: Tokyo Olympic Gold Winner". Retrieved 30 August 2021.
- ^ Cyriac, Biju Babu (26 March 2021). "Sumit Antil betters javelin world record at National Para Athletics Championships". The Times of India. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
- ^ Scroll Staff. "Tokyo Paralympics: Meet Sumit Antil, wrestler-turned-javelin thrower who never gave up on his dreams". Scroll.in. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
- ^ "Paris Paralympics: How World No 1 Para Javelin Star Sumit Antil Broke Records After Losing a Leg".
- ^ "Watch: Sandeep, Sumit bag javelin gold, silver with world record throws at Para Athletics Worlds". Scroll.in. 9 November 2019. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
- ^ PTI. "World Para Athletics C'ships: Sandeep, Sumit create world records". Sportstar. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
- ^ Express, India (30 August 2021). "Tokyo Paralympics: Sumit Antil wins gold, breaks world record thrice". TheIndianExpress. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
- ^ "Javelin ace Sumit Antil becomes first Indian man to defend title at Paralympics; wins gold medal with record throw at Paris 2024".
- ^ "Sumit Antil Wins Javelin Gold At World Para Athletics Championships". NDTV Sports. 30 September 2025. Retrieved 28 May 2026.
- ^ "World Para Athletics Grand Prix 2026 New Delhi: Paralympic champion Sumit Antil wins javelin throw gold medal". Olympics.com. 12 March 2026. Retrieved 28 May 2026.
- ^ "Sumit Antil breaks own World Record in men's javelin throw F64 at Indian Open". Sportstar. 27 May 2026. Retrieved 28 May 2026.
- ^ "National Sports Awards 2021: Neeraj Chopra, Lovlina Borgohain, Mithali Raj Among 9 Others to Get Khel Ratna". News18. 2 November 2021. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
- ^ Sportstar, Team (8 February 2024). "Sportstar Aces Awards 2024: Sumit Antil wins Sportsman of the Year (Parasports) award". Sportstar. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
- ^ "Sumit Antil, Sheetal Devi win best male and female athlete at 1st Differently Abled Sports Awards". The Times of India. 26 December 2023. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
- ^ "Forbes India 30 Under 30 2024: Meet our young disruptors and trailblazers". Forbes India. Retrieved 17 February 2024.
External links
[edit]- 1998 births
- Living people
- Paralympic athletes for India
- Indian men javelin throwers
- Sportspeople from Sonipat
- Athletes from Haryana
- Medalists at the 2020 Summer Paralympics
- Paralympic gold medalists for India
- Track and field athletes with disabilities
- Paralympic medalists in athletics (track and field)
- Athletes (track and field) at the 2020 Summer Paralympics
- Medalists at the World Para Athletics Championships
- World Para Athletics Championships winners
- Recipients of the Khel Ratna Award
- Ramjas College alumni
- Recipients of the Padma Shri in sports
- Medalists at the 2024 Summer Paralympics
- Athletes (track and field) at the 2024 Summer Paralympics
- Medalists at the 2022 Asian Para Games
- Asian Para Games medalists in athletics (track and field)
- Asian Para Games gold medalists for India
- Athletes (track and field) at the 2022 Asian Para Games
- 21st-century Indian sportsmen
