Navdeep’s gold is icing on the cake as Paralympics come to a close

Navdeep Singh had come to the mixed zone knowing he had won a silver medal in the men’s F41 javelin throw final during the Paralympic Games in Paris on Saturday night. Iran’s Sadegh Beit Sayah was busy celebrating the gold with his media friends.

The two had even congratulated each other.

And then, it happened.


Sadegh was disqualified for improper conduct on two accounts -- first, he had unfurled a flag other than the Iran national flag and second, he ran into the field of play after his last throw. His conduct meant two yellow cards. Iran appealed against the decision and the prize distribution ceremony was rescheduled.

An hour later, though, the appeal was rejected and Navdeep was awarded the gold. By then, all the other prize distribution ceremonies at the Stade De France had finished and Navdeep was the last man standing. In a twist of fate, the last national anthem to be played at the stadium was India’s and the last flag to be unfurled was the Tricolour.

It was for a record seventh time in one edition, the best showing in Indian Paralympic history. Navdeep was delighted.

While he felt bad for the Iranian, he was elated for having thrown a career best of 47.32 metres. While Sadegh had thrown 47.64 m for a Paralympic record, by virtue of his disqualification, Navdeep’s record would stand for the Games.

“I was not a javelin thrower originally. Like everyone else in Haryana, I also went to the akhara to become a wrestler. But then Neeraj Chopra changed it all. His gold medal in 2016 at an international competition inspired me to pursue javelin. If someone from Panipat could do it, so could I”, said Navdeep.

All in all, Paris Paralympic Games were different from Tokyo 2020 (held in 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic) and packed houses was something new for many athletes. But despite big crowds and the pressure of expectations, the Indian Paralympics team has delivered. The medal count has gone to 29 (7 gold, 9 silver and 13 bronze), more than a 50% jump from Tokyo, something to be proud of. It shows that a system is in place and we have moved away from the practice of ‘jugaad’.