Nagoya, Oct 20: India’s Pradeep Kumar claimed his second successive silver medal, while Ayush Verma fetched a bronze in the Asian Para Games’ men’s javelin throw F53/54 event here on Tuesday.
Pradeep (F54) produced a personal best throw of 27.45m to finish second.
Ayush (F53) ensured a double podium for India by clinching the bronze after logging Raza points despite a comparatively shorter throw of 17.88m.
The 35-year-old finished ahead of Thailand’s Sahar-dam Yaena (F54), who threw 23.31m, owing to the higher degree of his disability that fetched him more Raza points. It was a personal best effort by the Indian Games debutant.
Raza points is a method by which performances are converted to scores taking into account the degree of disability when a competition clubs different classifications into one event.
Iran’s Erfan Bondori successfully defended his gold with a Games record throw of 30.24m.
F53 athletes typically have full function of their arms and hands, but lack abdominal muscles and lower spinal muscle activity, leading to no sitting balance.
F54 athletes have full upper muscle power in the arms and partial-to-full trunk muscle power, though movement in the mid-trunk and legs is still affected to a high degree.
Ayush will also be competing in the men’s shot put F53 final on Wednesday.
Even in the 2023 Hangzhou edition, India had secured a silver and bronze in this event. However, the bronze at that time had come through Laxit. (PTI)
