Soman Rana sprungs a surprise

Bihar's Soman Rana wins gold in men's shot put F57, overshadowing Paris Paralympic bronze medallist Hokata Sema.

Bihar’s Soman Rana sprung a surprise by winning the gold in the men’s shot put F57 section, putting to shade Hokata Sema, the Paris Paralympic bronze medallist, who finished second, in the National para athletics championships at the Nehru Stadium here on Wednesday.

Rana heaved the 4kg iron ball to a distance of 14.42 metres while Hokata of Services could come up with just a 13.53m.

“We (Hokata and me) train together in Army Paralympic Node in Pune. We are very good friends, who help each other. It feels happy to win the gold,” said Rana, who had finished fourth in Tokyo Olympics and fifth in Paris.

Hokata said he is very happy for his friend Rana but said the platform was not of good quality. “It was a football ground. The platform was not good, it moves when you throw and when we throw with full power, we lose our balance,” said Hokata.

Deepthi Jeevanji of Telangana, the Paris Paralympic bronze medallist, gold medallist in the 2024 World championships and and the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, ran a confident race to emerge a comfortable winner in the women’s 400m T20 category in a time of 57.85s.

The results (winners only):Men: shot put: F53: Sumit (Har) 6.89m; F55: Muthuraja Karaiyalan (TN) 10.67m; javelin throw: F53: Sumit (Har) 17.15m; shot put:F57: Soman Rana (Bhr) 14.42m; long jump: T37: Ramsungi Thakor (Guj) 5.15m.

Women: 400m: T13: Geeta Mahto (Del) 1:11.89s; T37: Harshita Tater (Kar) 1:36.09; T20: Deepthi Jeevangji (TS) 57.85s; discus: F37: Priyanka (Raj) 20.63m; F40: Akutai Sitaram Ulbhagat (Mah) 15.63; F57: Suman Bala (Har) 19.76m; shot put: F40: Akutai Sitaram Ulbhagat (Mah) 5.85m.