Gavit, Basil deliver India's para sprint dream with 100m gold-silver finish

India's para-athletes continued their remarkable run at the Commonwealth Games as Dilip Mahadu Gavit and Mohammed Basil produced a memorable one-two finish in the men's 100m T47 final, with Gavit claiming gold in Games record time and Basil taking silver after a spirited sprint.

Gavit stormed to victory in a season's best 10.71 seconds, setting a new Games record, while the 21-year-old Basil clocked a season's best 10.83 seconds to secure silver in a tightly contested race on Wednesday. England's Kevin Santos finished third in 10.85 seconds to take bronze in the T47 event, contested by athletes with upper-limb impairments affecting strength, movement or coordination on one side.

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The victory gave India its third gold medal of the Games after Mirabai Chanu's triumph in the women's 48kg weightlifting event and Sharmila Dhankar's victory in the women's F57 shot put. For Gavit, however, the medal represented far more than sporting success—it capped a journey defined by hardship, perseverance and an unwavering belief in his abilities.

Born in Toran Dongari, a small village near Nashik in Maharashtra, Gavit lost his right arm below the elbow at the age of six after a fall from a tree led to gangrene because timely medical treatment was unavailable. Growing up in a farming family with limited means, he turned to running despite scarce sporting infrastructure in his village.

His talent was eventually spotted by coach Vaijanth Kale, who persuaded Gavit's parents to let him train.

"I saw him at school and then I convinced his parents for training," Kale said after the race.

"He did not know anything about para competitions. He was competing in able-bodied events and was doing well," he recalled.

Before switching to para athletics, Gavit had already excelled against able-bodied athletes, winning two medals at the Khelo India Youth Games in Pune and another medal at the Under-18 level. Kale believes his talent was evident from the outset.

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"He would do well in able-bodied meets. The problem in rural areas is that there are no facilities. He did not get proper medical facilities, which led to his left hand being amputated," he said.

Training in Nashik helped Gavit develop into one of India's leading para sprinters, and the Commonwealth Games triumph now stands as the biggest achievement of his career.

Despite the difficult, rain-soaked conditions in Glasgow, Gavit recovered from a slow start to surge clear of the field.

"The start was a bit slow, but then I gradually picked up pace and it felt great to win," he said.

The newly-crowned Commonwealth champion has already shifted his focus to bigger goals.

"I am not thinking about doing a job now, my target is to win medals. I am sure I will do better at the upcoming Para Asian Games in September-October in Japan and then the Paralympics," he said.

Basil, who was born with a limb deficiency and is backed by his parents and two brothers, underlined India's growing depth in para sprinting with a silver medal-winning performance.

Elsewhere, India's discus throwers narrowly missed the podium in the men's F42-44/F61-64 final. Sagar Thayat finished sixth after producing an Asian record and season's best throw of 51.79 metres in the F43 category, while Devender Kumar placed seventh with a season's best effort of 48.20 metres in the F44 category.