Antil, who will be one of the two flag-bearers of the 84-member Indian contingent at the opening ceremony of the Paris Paralympics from August 28 to September 8, said he is drawing inspiration from Chopra\u2019s silver-wining effort at the Stade de France in Paris.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Confident about replicating the Tokyo performance, Antil said Chopra has shared a simple piece of advice ahead of the Paris Paralympics.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cNeeraj bhai\u2019s 89.45m throw was a great effort. It was his season\u2019s best and it came after he was carrying an injury. That says a lot about the man. Neeraj bhai says that I should not try anything new and just trust my preparation by staying cool and steady,\u201d said Antil to SAI Media.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The burly javelin thrower from Haryana will be challenging himself at the Paralympics. At Tokyo, Antil broke the world record thrice and his final effort of 68.55 metres won him the gold medal in the F-64 category (athletes with problems in the lower limb(s), or those competing with prosthesis or those affected by leg length difference).<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Despite the confidence, javelin can cause injuries anytime and Antil was carrying a back injury that he expected to heal before the competition at Paris began.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cWe are very conscious about injuries this time. It does impact our throws. Right now I have a minor back injury and I don\u2019t want that to impact my performance in Paris. Apart from that my preparation has been good and I will try to return with a good result,\u201d said Antil.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Sumit Antil, Sonepat\u2019s 26-year-old sports hero, lost his left leg in an accident in 2015. However, the support from his family and his resilience helped him overcome the tragedy. Throwing the javelin with a prosthetic left leg, Antil challenges himself every time he has taken part in a global competition.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cI have become a lot more consistent than the time I competed in Tokyo Paralympics. This is because the expectations from everyone has increased multi-fold since my gold in Tokyo. Before that not many people knew about me. I have also become more disciplined than last time and it is reflecting in the way I am performing in recent events.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Sumit Antil, Sonepat\u2019s 26-year-old sports hero, lost his left leg in an accident in 2015. However, the support from his family and his resilience helped him overcome the tragedy. Throwing the javelin with a prosthetic left leg, Antil challenges himself every time he has taken part in a global competition.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Also Read: <\/b> Paris Olympics News<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n