India showcased an exceptional performance on the second day of the World Para Athletics Grand Prix 2025 in New Delhi, with Rinku Hooda emerging as the standout athlete in the men’s javelin events. Competing in the F46 category, Rinku secured the gold medal with a remarkable throw of 60.26 metres, adding to his recent triumphs at the 22nd National Para Athletics Championships in Goa and his silver at the fourth Asian Para Games.
His dominant performance outshone Sri Lanka’s Gamini Ketawala, who recorded a throw of 56.88 metres, while Uzbekistan’s Elyorbek Elmatov clinched bronze with a 43.01-metre effort.
India’s supremacy continued in the men’s javelin F12, F37, F42, and F43 combined category, where Indian athletes swept the podium. Pushpendra Singh claimed gold with a throw of 57.57 metres, followed by Mohit, who secured silver with 45.45 metres, and Jaswant, who took bronze with a mark of 45.94 metres.
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The nation’s dominance extended to other field events, with Ritender winning gold in the men’s javelin F40/F41 category with a throw of 30.33 metres. Kazakhstan’s Alexey Lukutin and Uzbekistan’s Yuldosbek Hajiev finished second and third, respectively. In the men’s discus throw F56/F57 event, Atul Kaushik of India triumphed with a 43.92-metre throw, while compatriot Ram Kumar Yadav secured silver with 30.59 metres. The Philippines’ Maekel Lita rounded out the podium with a 22.79-metre effort.
India’s women athletes also shone brightly. In the shot put event, Svetlana Mironova took gold with a throw of 13.97 metres, while India’s Khushboo Gill and Ananya Bansal secured silver and bronze with throws of 9.52 metres and 7.73 metres, respectively. Meanwhile, in the women’s javelin F34 category, India’s Baghyashri Madhavrao Jadhav claimed gold with a throw of 12.73 meteres, narrowly edging out Uzbekistan’s Dilsuz Ziyodulloeva, who took silver with 11.30 metres. Mubina secured the bronze medal.
Edwin Masuage races to gold
On the track, Botswana’s Edwin Masuage sprinted to gold in the men’s 400 metres T13/T20 event with a time of 50.60 seconds. He was followed closely by Denis Shabalin, a Neutral Para Athlete, who clocked 50.40 seconds for silver, while Botswana’s Bose Mokgwathi took bronze with a time of 50.81 seconds. In the men’s 400 metres T35/T36 category, Mikhail Kuskus secured gold with a time of 56.10 seconds, followed by India’s Abhishek Babasaheb Jadhav, who claimed silver in 64.09 seconds, while Kirill Glazyrin earned bronze.
The men’s long jump T20/T36/T37 event saw Neutral Para Athlete Matvei Lakushev clinch gold with a leap of 7.17 metres, while Chermen Kobesov secured silver with a 5.86-metre jump, and Oman’s Taha Al Harrasi took bronze with 5.13 metres. In the men’s long jump T42/T44 event, Sri Lanka’s Anil Prasanna captured gold with a 5.36-metre effort, while India’s Mit Bharatbhai Patel and Ramsinghbhai Govindbhai claimed silver and bronze, respectively.
Brazil’s Bartolomeu Da Silva triumphed in the men’s 400 metres T37 event with a time of 52 seconds, followed by Neutral Para Athletes Anton and Andrei. India continued its winning streak in the men’s 400 metres T47 event, where Dilip Mahadu Gavit stormed to gold with a time of 48.78 seconds.
Jasbeer, representing the Indian Army, followed closely with a silver-winning time of 49.64 seconds, while Bhavikkumar Dineshbhai secured bronze in 50.32 seconds. The men’s long jump T47 event saw Neutral Para Athlete Nikita Kotukov claim gold with a leap of 6.79 metres, Sri Lanka’s Buddika Fernando secure silver with 6.61 metres, and India’s Ajay Singh take bronze with 6.18 metres.