NEW DELHI: Indian para-athlete Navdeep Singh won gold in a dramatic turn of events at the Paris Paralympic Games on Saturday. Navdeep’s silver medal in the javelin throw men F41 final was upgraded after Iran’s Beit Sayah Sadegh was disqualified. This victory marks India’s first ever gold in the men’s javelin F41 category.
Navdeep, a 23-year-old from Haryana, started the competition with a mistake. However, he recovered with a throw of 46.39 metres on his second attempt, placing him in second place. His third attempt was a remarkable 47.32 metres, breaking the Paralympic record and taking him into the lead.
Iran’s Sadegh then beat Navdeep with a throw of 47.64 metres on his fifth attempt to temporarily claim gold.

However, Sadegh was disqualified after the match, leaving Navdeep as the gold medalist.
The F41 category is for athletes of small stature and provides a competitive platform for these para-athletes. Singh’s achievement is a major milestone for India at the Paralympics.
Sadegh Beit Sayah was disqualified for repeatedly displaying an offensive flag, which led to his removal from the final standings. Sun Pengxiang took the silver medal with a throw of 44.72m.
Sayah had initially taken the lead with a new Paralympic record of 47.64m in his penultimate throw, but his actions cost him the medal.
According to International Paralympic Committee rules, athletes are prohibited from making political gestures during the event. Sayah was disqualified for unsportsmanlike and improper conduct.
Iraq’s Nukhailawi Wildan (40.46) won the bronze medal.
Athletics contributed 17 medals to India’s tally, including four gold, placing the country 16th overall. China leads the table with an impressive 215 medals, including 93 gold.
For Navdeep, the gold is a redemption after the painful fourth place at the Tokyo Games.
Navdeep, an inspector with the Income Tax Department, has been involved in the sport since 2017 and has won five national medals. Earlier this year, he also won bronze at the Para World Championships.