File photo of Nishad Kumar.© X (formerly Twitter)
The Indian team picked up its first medals in the World Para Athletics Championships with high jumper Nishad Kumar and 200m runner Preethi Pal winning a silver and bronze respectively at Kobe in Japan on Sunday. Kumar, a Tokyo Paralympics silver medallist, cleared 1.99m to finish second in the men’s T47 high jump final and pick up India’s first medal on the third day of competitions. American Roderick Townsend won the gold with a jump of 2.05m. Another Indian in the fray, Ram Pal finished sixth with his season’s best performance of 1.90m.
Kumar had also won a silver in the same event in the 2023 edition of the World Para Athletics Championships in Paris.
The T47 classification is meant for para track athletes with a below elbow or wrist amputation or impairment.
Preethi Pal then added a bronze to India’s tally after finishing third in women’s T35 200m final with a time of 30.49 seconds.
Athletes who have co-ordination impairments compete in T35 category.
Deepthi Jeevanji qualified for the women’s T20 400m final after winning her heat race in an Asian record time of 56.18 seconds.
The T20 category is meant for athletes who have intellectual impairment.
China topped the medal tally with 26 podium finishes (10 gold, 8 silver, 8 bronze) after Day 3. The Indian team is currently at 29th place.
The championships will continue till May 25.
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