Hangzhou para games

His Gaurav Khanna Excellia Badminton: World record holder, world champion and 2020 Paralympic Games gold medalist Javelin thrower in the F64 category Sumit Antil, and recent Arjuna Awardee and double Asian Para Games gold medallist archer Sheetal Devi, won the coveted Best Male and Best Female athlete crowns at the 1st Differently Abled Sports Awards, here.

Sumit, who threw the Javelin 73.29 meters in the recent Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, China for his world record mark and Sheetal Devi, who won two golds and a silver at the same Games in Compound Archery, were among 250 nominations received from as many as 20 federations in 23 award categories.

India’s first paralympic gold medallist and freestyle swimmer Murlikant Petkar, who won gold at the 1972 Paralympics, was also honoured with the Lifetime Achievement award. The Indian Blind Chess team, which won gold and multiple medals at the Hangzhou Para Games, won the Major Dhyanchand Team of the Year award presented by the hockey wizard’s son and former Hockey World Cup winner Ashok Kumar Dhyanchand.