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Paralympics 2024 | Dharambir smashes Asian record for gold, Pranav takes silver in men's F51 club throwAfter four fouled attempts, the 35-year-old world championships bronze medallist from Sonepat, Dharambir hurled the club to a distance of 34.92m in his fifth attempt to claim the top spot on the podium on Wednesday.
PTI
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<div class="paragraphs"><p>Dharambir (left),&nbsp;Pranav (right)</p></div>

Dharambir (left), Pranav (right)

Credit: X/@Media_SAI

Paris: Dharambir shattered the Asian record to win the gold medal while compatriot Pranav Soorma clinched the silver as Indian club throwers dominated the men's F51 event at the Paralympics here.

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After four fouled attempts, the 35-year-old world championships bronze medallist from Sonepat, Dharambir hurled the club to a distance of 34.92m in his fifth attempt to claim the top spot on the podium on Wednesday.

Soorma, who injured his spinal chord at 16 when a cement sheet fell on his head, then produced a throw of 34.59m in his first attempt but the 29-year-old from Faridabad couldn't better and get past Dharambir as India completed a one-two.

The third Indian in the fray, 2017 world championship silver medallist, trailblazing Indian para-athlete and Dharmbir's menton Amit Kumar Saroha, however, finished last with a best effort of 23.96m.

Serbia's Filip Graovac bagged the bronze, courtesy a 34.18m throw in his second attempt.

The F51 club throw event is for athletes who have movement affected to a high degree in the trunk, legs and hands. All the competitors compete while seated and rely on their shoulders and arm to generate power.

From paralysis to Paralympic glory ===================== Dharambir faced a life-altering accident when a misjudged dive into a canal left him paralyzed from the waist down. Para-sports gave him a new direction in life when he was introduced to it by fellow para-athlete Amit Kumar Saroha.

Within two years, Dharambir qualified for the 2016 Rio Paralympics, marking the beginning of a successful career. He has since earned multiple medals for India, including a silver at the 2022 Asian Para Games.

A cricket and roller hockey enthusiast, Soorma too was just another teenager when a cement sheet fell on his head when he was 16, leaving him paralyzed after causing a severe spinal cord injury.

Support of his family and a positive mindset helped him to turn to meditation and academics, where he excelled with 91.2 per cent in his 12th board exams. He then pursued a postgraduate degree from the Delhi School of Economics and secured a job as an Assistant Manager at the Bank of Baroda.

Pranav rediscovered his love for sports through para-athletics and soon received success as he won a silver medal at the 2019 Beijing Grand Prix, a gold medal at the Serbia Open 2023, and both gold and silver medals at the Tunisia Grand Prix 2022.

He also produced a record-setting throw at the Asian Para Games 2023, where he won gold in the men’s club throw F51 event.

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(Published 05 September 2024, 07:11 IST)