Sumit Antil secured his third consecutive World Championship gold medal in the men’s T64 javelin throw at the Para Athletics World Championships in New Delhi. The 27-year-old registered a throw of 71.37m, which erased his own championship record of 70.83m set in Paris in 2023. Despite finishing nearly 25 meters ahead of his nearest competitor, Tomas Soto Mina of Colombia, Antil had been targeting a new world record of 75m. "I was thinking I’d throw much more. I was thinking I would get a new world record. But at least I got the championship record," he said, reflecting his high standards.
Antil's self-imposed pressure was his only real competition. His F64 category athletes with moderately affected movement in one or both lower legs had been separated from the F44 category, vastly reducing the competitiveness of the field. Before the event, Antil, who holds the world record of 73.29m, was candid about the lack of external motivation: "There is hardly any competition in F64. Honestly, to get that motivation to compete is a little difficult for me. Only if I can break my record can there be some excitement.”
Antil was forced to compete with a sore neck and arm, which he attributed to waking up "the wrong way" a couple of days before the event, requiring treatment from his physio just to be able to participate. He felt the pain throughout the competition, especially after a powerful warm-up throw. His first throw was a modest 65.59m, and after four attempts, his best was only 68.40m. It was only after pushing through the pain that he registered his best throw of 71.37m, a new record.
After reporters relayed that Neeraj Chopra had called him a 'sher' among athletes, Antil insisted that all para athletes deserved that description. "I’m trying to throw as far as possible as a para athlete. I’ve heard a lot of people say that para athletes aren’t as good as regular athletes... I want to prove that’s not true," he stated. His mother, Nirmala Devi, recalled his determination from the hospital following his 2015 bike accident and subsequent leg amputation: "Tera beta do taango waalon se bhi accha kar ke dikayega".
With the 2025 season concluded, Antil's focus shifts to bigger targets. He plans to get an MRI on his shoulder, and if cleared, he will begin preparing for the Para Asian Games next year, followed by the 2027 World Championships and the LA Paralympics. He is also considering competing in able-bodied competitions to seek the motivation he needs to chase his goal of throwing 75m or even 80m. He remains confident: "I know that in the future, as long as I compete, I will get there.”
