Dubai 2022 Para Athletics GP: Someswara Rao, Dharambir set Asian records, India claim 2 gold medals

Dubai, March 24 (IANS) Long jumper Someswara Rao Ramudri and javelin thrower Mohit lit up the evening for India, clinching gold medals in their individual events as Dubai 2022 World Para Athletics Grand Prix -- 13th Fazza International Para Athletics Championships reached the penultimate stage here.

Overall, the Indian contingent won six medals on the day and set two Asian records, thanks to the efforts of Ramudri in the long jump men T64 final and Paralympian Dharambir in discus wheelchair men F51 final.

In one of the last events of the day, Ramudri came out with his personal best -- a leap of 6.40m -- to take the long jump men's T64 gold medal, in the combined T43/44/63/64 final. Thailand's Kantinan Khumphong (5.74 m) and Malaysia's Eddy Bernard (6.20m) finished second and third, respectively.

"This is my first international gold medal in the long jump. And I am very happy. But during my training in India, I have attained more distance. I will try to improve and do well in the upcoming Asian Para Games," said the 24-year-old who had finished fourth in the men's 400m T64 race in Indonesia's 2018 Asian Para Games.

Ramudri used to compete in 100m, 200m, 400m races in the T64 category before a fracture in his right leg forced him to switch his event to long jump, which he is competing in for the past year.

In the men's javelin final F44/46/63/64, Mohit achieved an impressive 54.71m distance in his very first throw which was enough to take the gold medal. Kazakhstan's Rufat Khabibullin (45.72 m) and Nigeria's Sunday Adebayo (42,55 m) took the silver and bronze medals, respectively.

"I am very happy to take the gold here. Though I think I could have done better given the conditions. I want to win more medals for India," said Mohit.

Meanwhile, Paralympian Dharambir claimed his second silver medal in the Championships, this time in men's wheelchair discus final F51 where he attained a distance of 10.93m for the silver.

Algeria's Mohamed Berrahal (12,29 m) took the gold, as Dharambir's fellow thrower Ajitkumar Amrutla Panchal claimed the bronze in the F52 category with a throw of 18.57m.

In women's track events, Jayanti Behera claimed the silver medal in 200 m women final T46/47 clocking 26.94secs, finishing behind USA's Brittni Mason (26.08 sec). Ishwari Nishad also took second place with a timing of 1:25.50mins in 400m women's final T11. Kenya's Nancy Chelangat Koech secured the top position racing in 1:04.25min.

The Championships, hosted under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Sports Council, kicked off the World Para Athletics Grand Prix season with around 500 para-athletes from 43 nations in action at the Dubai Club for People of Determination grounds this week.