Dharambir breaks Asian record for F51 club throw gold, Pranav wins silver
F51 club throw event is for those athletes who have considerable limitation in movement of trunk, legs and hands.
Pranav wins silver as world number one ranked Archer in a thrilling competition, while Dharambir broke the Asian record to claim the gold medal. Indian club throwers for men in the F51 category dominated the Paralympics. In their fourth attempt, the 35-year-old from Sonepat, a former world championships bronze medallist, threw the club 34 meters. On his fifth attempt, Pranav launched himself into an impressive horizontal long jump of 92 meters, securing second place on the podium and adding another remarkable achievement to his career.
This is a real life story of Soorma who at the age of sixteen had a sever spinal cord injury when a cement sheet fell on his head and this man threw 34. He did 59 meters on his first trial for the long jump. But Faridabad’s 29-year-old failed to get a better score than Dharambir, so both India and the country clinched the gold and silver medals. Another Indian athlete, Amit Kumar Saroha mentored by Dharambir and a silver medalist in 2017 world championships in Taipei came last in the event with his best throw of 23. 96 meters.
The bronze medal went to Serbia’s Filip Graovac, who bettered the field with a throw of 34. First attempt reach to 17 meters and 2 centimeters and the second attempt reach to 18 meters in sand. F51 club throw event is for those athletes who have considerable limitation in movement of trunk, legs and hands. In all the activities the participants sit and the force used comes from the shoulders and arms.
Early Life and Determination: Pranav Wins Silver in Para-Athletics Journey
Dharambir received paralysis from the waist down after a diving accident into a canal while following his passion of diving. New hope was offered to him in the form of a purpose when he was intorduced to para-sports by another para-athlete Amit Kumar Saroha.
Two years later, Dharambir got to the 2016 Rio Paralympics, thus beginning what can be regarded as a successful career. He has many medals for India including 2022 silver medal in Asian Para Games.
Soorma was fond of playing cricket and roller hockey game. Since age 16, a cement sheet fell on his head which left him paralysed because of a damaged spinal cord.
With the help from the family and a proper stance, he practiced meditating and studying, thus achieving result of 91. 2% in his 12th board exams which were conducted by the C. B. S. E board in the year 2008. He then did post graduate in Delhi School of Economics and joined Bank of Baroda as an Assistant Manager.
Namely, para-athletics helped Pranav restore the interest in sports and achieve success rather fast. He earned Silver medal during Beijing Grand Prix held in 2019, Gold medal during Serbia Open held in 2023 and Gold as well as Silver during Tunisia Grand Prix held in 2022.
He also won gold at 2023 Asian Para Games, men’s club throw F51 event which also made him to break a record.
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