Dharambir, Pranav Soorma complete historic double in men’s club throw F51 final – Firstpost

Indian para-athletes in athletics continued to flourish at the Stade de France during the ongoing Paris Paralympics with Dharambir and Pranav Soorma completing a historic double in the men’s club throw F51 category by winning gold and silver respectively in the final.

Dharambir won India’s second gold medal in athletics and fifth overall, equalling his record from the Tokyo Games three years ago, with a throw of 34.92 metres in his fifth attempt. The 35-year-old from Sonipat had recorded a throw of 31.59 metres in his only other legal attempt.

Paris 2024 Paralympic Games: News | Medal Roundup | India Schedule

Soorma, meanwhile, won silver with a best effort of 34.59m in his very first attempt, taking India’s medal tally at the ongoing Games to 24 – their best tally in Paralympic history, five more than what they had managed at Tokyo 2020.

The 29-year-old from Faridabad, who won gold at the Asian Paralympics in Hangzhou last year by setting a course record, cleared the 34-metre mark twice (34.19m and 34.50m) while his other legal attempts were above 33 metres (33.90m and 33.70m). Only one of his attempts was a foul.

Serbian Zelijko Dimitrijevic won bronze with a throw of 34.18 metres on his third attempt, becoming the only competitor along with Dharambir and Soorma to clear the 34-metre mark. He then cleared the 33-metre mark (33.70 m) on his fourth attempt and recorded three throws of 32 metres (32.70 m, 32.91 m and 32.46 m).

Amit Saroha was India’s third competitor but he was far from helping the country achieve a podium clean sweep as he finished last among 10 competitors with a best throw of 23.96m on his fourth attempt – one of his two legal attempts on Wednesday night.

To top it all off, he received a yellow card, a card reserved for athletes who behave inappropriately and which results in the cancellation of the race. Yellow cards serve as a final warning to an athlete and are followed by red and black cards, which carry a much harsher penalty.

The F51 club throwing event is reserved for athletes whose trunk, leg and hand movements are significantly affected. All competitors compete seated and rely on their shoulders and arms to generate power.

From paralysis to Paralympic glory

Dharambir suffered a life-changing accident when a misjudged dive into a canal left him paralysed from the waist down. Para sports gave him a new direction in life when he was introduced to it by fellow para-athlete Saroha.

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

A keen cricketer and roller hockey player, Soorma was also just another teenager when a cement slab fell on his head at the age of 16, leaving him paralysed after causing a severe spinal cord injury.

His family’s support and a positive mindset helped him turn to meditation and studies, where he scored 91.2% in his final year exams. He then did a postgraduate degree from the Delhi School of Economics and landed a job as an assistant manager at the Bank of Baroda.

Pranav rediscovered his love for sports through para athletics and quickly found success winning a silver medal at the 2019 Beijing Grand Prix, a gold medal at the 2023 Serbia Open and gold and silver medals at the 2022 Tunisia Grand Prix.

He also achieved a record throw at the 2023 Asian Paralympics, where he won gold in the men’s F51 club throw event.