Preethi Pal Creates History with Second Paralympics Medal; Nishad Kumar Takes Silver

Preethi Pal made history by becoming the first Indian woman track and field athlete to win two medals at the Paralympics. Nishad Kumar also secured his second consecutive silver in the men's high jump T47 category at the Paris Games on Sunday.

Preethi, 23, earned a bronze in the 200m T35 category with a personal best time of 30.01 seconds. She had previously won a bronze in the 100m T35 category on Friday. This achievement makes her only the second Indian woman to win two medals in a single Paralympics after shooter Avani Lekhara, who won gold and bronze in Tokyo three years ago.

Focus on Para-Athletics

Nishad Kumar, 24, from Una in Himachal Pradesh, won India's third medal from para-athletics and seventh overall at the Paris Paralympics with a season's best effort of 2.04m. He had lost his right hand in a grass-cutting machine accident when he was six years old.

Preethi faced significant physical challenges from birth, including weak legs and an irregular leg posture. Her lower body was plastered for six days after birth, and she wore calipers for eight years from age five. At 17, her perspective changed when she watched the Paralympic Games on social media and met Paralympic athlete Fatima Khatoon, who introduced her to para-athletics.

Achievements and Challenges

Nishad's journey has been marked by resilience and determination. Inspired by his mother, a state-level volleyball player and discus thrower, he pursued sports with unwavering commitment. He began with wrestling and athletics before specialising in javelin throw. In 2017, he received professional coaching and made his international debut at the Asian Youth Para Games, winning a gold medal.

On Friday, Preethi clinched India's first athletics medal in a Paralympics track event by winning bronze in the women's T35 100m competition with a personal best time of 14.21 seconds. All previous athletics medals India had won since the 1984 Paralympics came from field events.

Other Indian Performances

Earlier, Ravi Rongali finished fifth in the men's F40 shot put final while Rakshita Raju bowed out in the opening round heats of the women's 1500m T11 race on the third day of athletics competitions. Rongali produced a personal best of 10.63m but it was enough only for fifth place in a top-class field.

World record holder Miguel Montero of Portugal won gold with a throw of 11.21m while Mongolia's Battulga Tsegmid took bronze with 11.09m. Reigning Asian Para Games champion Garrah Tnaiash of Iraq secured bronze with a throw of 11.03m.

Classification Details

The T35 classification is for athletes with coordination impairments like hypertonia, ataxia, and athetosis. The T47 category is for competitors with below elbow or wrist amputation or impairment.

Rakshita Raju finished last out of four runners in Heat 3 after clocking a timing of 5:29.92s. The top two runners from each heat qualified for the final. China's Shanshan He topped Rakshita's heat with a timing of 4:44.66s ahead of Louzanne Coetzee of South Africa, who clocked a season-best timing of 4:45.25s.

The T11 category is for athletes with visual impairment, which may include complete loss of vision or only light perception without seeing shapes at any distance. T11 athletes commonly run with guides.

Nishad had also won silver in Tokyo Paralympics three years ago with a jump of 2.06m. He faced tough competition from world record holder Townsend Roderick of the USA, who won gold after clearing 2.12m.

Another Indian competitor, Ram Pal, finished seventh with a personal best effort of 1.95m in the same event as Nishad Kumar.

Nishad's success continued at last year's Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, China, where he won gold, solidifying his status as a leading para-athlete. He also secured silver at the 2024 World Para Athletics Championship in May in Japan.

The only other Indian woman track and field medallist in Paralympics is former Paralympic Committee of India president Deepa Malik who won silver in shot put (a field event) F53 category at the Rio Games in 2016.