Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], February 19 (ANI): The National Paralympic Athletics Championship, organized by the Tamil Nadu Sports Development Authority and the Tamil Nadu Paralympic Sports Association, witnessed stellar performances as India's top para-athletes showcased their talent at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium in Chennai.

The championship, taking place from February 18 to 20, 2025, has brought together 1,476 para-athletes from 30 states and union territories, competing across 155 events. With 185 athletes representing Tamil Nadu, the competition has been a true celebration of resilience and excellence.

Paris Paralympics bronze medallist and reigning world champion Deepthi Jeevanji dominated the women's 400m T20 category, clinching gold with an impressive time of 57.85 seconds. Pooja from Haryana secured silver at 1:08.21s, while Bhuvi Agrawal, also from Haryana, took home bronze with 1:09.24s.

In the men's F57 shot put event, national record holder Soman Rana delivered a stunning performance, defeating Paris Paralympics gold medallist Hokato Sema. Rana secured the gold with a throw of 14.42m, while Sema claimed silver with 13.53m. Shubhan Juyal from SSCB bagged the bronze with a throw of 13.39m.

Other standout performances included Vikas from Haryana, who claimed gold in the men's long jump T45/T46/T47 finals with a leap of 6.75m, narrowly edging out Tamil Nadu's Shiek Abdul Kad, who secured silver with 6.69m. Nishad Kumar from Himachal Pradesh finished third with 6.49m he also won gold in the men's high jump T45/46/47 category.

In the men's shot put events, Haryana's Manu took gold in the F37 category with a throw of 12.17m, while Ravi Rongali from Andhra Pradesh dominated the F40 event with a 10.03m throw. Tamil Nadu's Manoj Singaraja led the F41 category with 8.94m.

The 400m races also saw intense competition, with Haryana's Madan winning gold in the men's T11 category at 57.16s. At the same time, Chirag Tyagi from Uttar Pradesh took the top spot in the T12 category with 50.89s. Haryana continued its dominance as Ashish secured gold in the T13 event with a time of 54.35s.

Ravi Kumar Meena from Rajasthan sprinted to victory in the men's T20 400m final with 56.47s, while Sahil from Haryana clocked 1:08.44s to secure gold in the T36 category. Uttar Pradesh's Dharmender Kumar took the top honours in the T44/T62/T64 category with a timing of 54.32s.

The competition has also seen the continued excellence of Paralympic champions. Paris Olympics gold medal-winning javelin thrower Navdeep Singh dominated the Javelin F41 event, while Paralympic high jump silver medallist Nishad Kumar claimed gold in the men's high jump T45/46/47 category. Praveen Kumar, Paris Paralympics gold medallist, reaffirmed his supremacy in the T64 event with a commanding victory.

With the championship showcasing outstanding performances and setting new benchmarks in Indian para-athletics, the ongoing competition is a testament to the determination and excellence of the country's finest para-athletes. (ANI)