India 1-2 in Club Throw; Dharambir smashes Asian mark

India's Dharambir shattered the Asian record to win the gold medal while compatriot Pranav Soorma bagged the silver, the two Indian club throwers dominating the men's F51 event at the Paralympics in Paris on Wednesday.

After four fouled attempts, Dharambir, the 35-year-old World Championships bronze medallist from Sonepat, hurled the club to a distance of 34.92 metres in his fifth attempt to take the top spot on the podium.

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. However, the 29-year-old from Faridabad couldn't better it and get past Dharambir as India completed a one-two.

The third Indian in the fray, 2017 World Championships silver medallist, trailblazing Indian para-athlete and Dharmbir's mentor 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.